Geisha Costume Ideas

The geisha costume consists of a kimono, an obi, sandals worn with socks, hair ornaments and heavy makeup. The sandals and hair ornaments can be omitted if you have nothing appropriate to use, but the other components are very necessary to achieving the geisha look.

A geisha costume can use any color scheme. Lighter pastel shades and more vibrant shades of blue and red are quite common, but white and black are also fine. The kimono almost always has a print or pattern. Flower prints are very common on kimonos. The thong on the sandals will also often match the kimono, but the obi will usually be a different color from the kimono. Regardless of the kimono color, hair ornaments are typically yellow or red.

The makeup for a geisha has a number of very subtle elements. It can be fairly difficult to replicate the exact makeup worn properly. The entire face and neck is painted white. The ears are usually covered by the hair and not painted. Bright crimson lipstick is worn. The subtle elements are a very light dusting of pink on the cheeks and black and red lining the eyes. These are difficult to do properly and probably should be removed for the purposes of a costume.

Black hair is closely associated with the geisha look due to it being the predominant hair color in Japan. It is not necessary to dye your hair for the costume, but a wig would help achieve the contrast of the black hair and white makeup. Geisha hairstyles can be quite complex, but any short hairstyle or updo with ornaments will suffice.

There are a few props that can benefit a geisha costume. A fan or parasol is a very typical item for a geisha to carry. The color of the fan or parasol should usually match the obi, but matching the kimono or using a different color entirely will still work. A flute or traditional Japanese instrument, like a biwa or shamisen, would help with the idea of a geisha as a woman trained in the arts.