momijizukamori asked:
Are there any types of obi-knots/obi that would be appropriate for both yukata and relatively informal kimono?
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kimononagoya answered:
Yep!
The two most common are the bunko and clam’s mouth or clamshell.
Bunko for yukata or kimono are tied with a hanhaba obi. Here are yukata bunko:
Bunko for kimono—the first one is a furisode and the second is a casual coordination:
How to tie bunko:
Of course there are MANY variations on the Bunko which can be as simple as fanning out the edges or making some ends longer or shorter than the other layers.
Clam’s Mouth Obi or Clamshell 貝の口
For yukata:
This obi knot is interesting in that it is one of the very few unisex knots! It is also the standard for summer dance For a woman’s yukata or kimono, a hanhaba obi would be used. The men’s obi is about 2/3 the width of a hanhaba so the knot would end up much smaller. At a matsuri, people often stick their fan (uchiwa) in the back of the obi to hold it.
In the photo above there is an obijime used with this obi, but it’s not needed to hold up the obi. It’s just used as decoration. This knot is appropriate for casual daily wear, such as shopping.
A colored infographic of how to tie it:
Hope this helps. You can search for 貝の口 きもの 方 or 文庫帯 きもの。
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Painted kimono. Taisho period (1911-1927). Japan. The Kimono Gallery. Rinzu silk kimono featuring yuzen-dyed and painted motifs of karahana flowers and enraged lions. Each lion motif is different than the next, so no stenciling was involved - all independently painted painstakingly by a master. Some of the karahana flower motifs have additional red and silver metallic threads inserted horizontally to add highlights. The karahana motif, representing a generic flower, is one with a long tradition, having been imported from the Silk Road and China many centuries ago. Lions such as these figure prominently in Buddhist art, as the ‘roar of the lion is said to represent the 'voice of law’ in that religion’.
Woven kimono. Early Showa Period (1927-1940), Japan. A hitoe (unlined) summer silk kimono featuring large woven cross-hatch motifs. The Kimono Gallery