are relatively small, the worn by are comparably much larger, and may be the most expensive item of the 's finished outfit. Certain types of are woven specifically for to be fastened to them. are long stiffeners inserted between folds of the at the front, giving it a smooth, flat appearance. Some types of are attached around the waist with cords before the is put on; are available in a number of different sizes, weights and materials to suit both the season and the itself. are decorative cords roughly long tied around the and knotted at either the front or the back. The can be both functional and decorative, serving to keep certain in place and add extra decoration to an outfit. Most are woven silk, with a number of varieties - such as rounded worn with , open-weave worn for summer and with gold and silver threads worn to formal occasions - available. One less commonly-worn variety of , the , is not a woven cord, and is instead a sewn, stuffed tube of fabric; this variety is generally only worn with worn to highly formal events and on stage by kabuki actors. Woven or otherwise, most feature tassels at each end. is a small pillow that supports and shapes the knot. The most common knot worn by women today, the , is shaped and held in place with the use of an ; elsewhere, one or two large are used in the tying of the worn by some . Men's The worn by men are much narrower than those of women, with the width of most men's being about at the most. Men's are worn in a much simpler fashion than women's, worn below the stomach and tied in a number of relatively simple knots at the back - requiring no or to achieve. Men's types are soft, informal made from drapey and often -dyed fabrics such as crêpe, silk , cotton and others. It is generally tied in a loose, casual knot; though for children are short, for adults are roughly as long as any other adult-sized – to long – but can be comparably wider, at up to . Adult men generally wear only at home or in the summer months with a , whereas young boys can wear it in public at mostly any time of year. is the second type of men's , roughly