Q&A What is Obi? An Obi is a sash tie around the traditional Japanese Kimono outfit. A woman's formal obi can be about 12 inches wide and more than 157 inches long. Before the obi is tied, it is folded in two and this is the why you may see a crease in the middle of some of our bags.  Why dose Tokyo Sassy use a vintage obi for products? The Kimono was the beginning of Japanese fashion. It is part of Japanese tradition and culture. Traditionally, Kimonos were handed down generations but after Western culture came to Japan in the 19 century, people started wearing clothes and the kimono was less popular. Now most people keep a few kimonos in their wardrobe and it is only used for very special occasions like the 'Coming of age' or a wedding ceremony.  TOKYO SASSY wants to celebrate Japanese tradition and culture and thinks that the kimono is too beautiful to be hidden away so we decided to find stylish ways we could use a vintage obi in our current everyday lives. How are Tokyo Sassy obis different? Our vintage obis are different from the modern mass-produced ones because we source our original hand-made silk obis from vintage kimono shops and auctions. Why does Tokyo Sassy use an Oiran shadow for company logo? An Oiran was similar to a courtesan during the 17th century Edo period. They were considered the most important courtesans and only a few women could become one.  Orians were considered fashionistas and celebrities by average citizens because they were attractive, well-educated and wore expensive kimonos. They also wore ornamental hairpins called 'kanzashi' and smoked small pipes called 'kiseru'. TOKYO SASSY uses an Oiran shadow as our logo because we want to appeal to fellow fashion-lovers and to people who are attracted by Japanese traditions and culture.