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Within the world of kimono, you’ll quickly notice that it tends to be quite colourful. Whereas western garments are overall a little more muted in tone, this is certainly not the case for kimono. Actually, having a contrast in your coordination is preferred! From a subtle contrast to colours that are sitting opposite on the colour spectrum.

That being said, there are a few colours that do hold special significance and wearing them should be done with consideration of this in mind. Pairing them up with the correct formality or wearing them for the right occasion will make your ensemble look even better.

Combination white with silver and/or gold

A combination of two of these, although three is rare but can be found, is suitable for kimono of the highest formality. Usually Iro- and/or Kurotomesode. In some cases a (multiple) crested houmongi will work as well.
There are also obijime available where they are split into half silver, half gold but solid on either side otherwise. The duality of the colours gives a playful touch when worn.
White with silver or gold is a particularly well loved combination for obijime which are worn with kimono of this formality.
Solid silver or gold are another option to wear and can be frequently found. These in particular look quite eye-catching against a slightly softer coloured obi, resulting in the colour popping with the softer background.

Solid black

This may be the one obijime with the most significance out of all. When an obijime is solid black, with absolutely zero other colours added, it is ONLY suitable for full mourning wear. Mofuku (喪服), or funeral/mourning wear, in Japan is traditionally solid black with no other colours added. White is worn for the tabi socks & juban and its decorative colour, but other items are supposed to be solid black. Sometimes the obi, obiage and obijime can have motifs on them but this depends on the item.
That being said, items for mourning wear are perfect for DIY projects as the solid black background makes for a perfect canvas. Once a speck of colour is added, it’s considered no longer suitable and therefore can be more easily worn in a casual way.

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