Do you love the look of the Japanese Geisha? Here's how to create a Halloween costume based on this elegant profession.
The Kimono
You can buy vintage kimonos on the web, but it's just as easy to create that same look with an elegant silk bathrobe or with a simple pattern and fabric. Kimono are by design a very easy outfit to make, and were the national outfit for Japanese of all income levels. You can go from the simple black or single color kimono up to a hundred-dollar embroidered one.
The Shoes
Geisha wore tabi, or simple sandals. Any set of wooden sandals will do the trick.
The Hair
Geisha were known for extremely elaborate hair styles, with hair ornaments and pins. In general, the hair was "up". If you can create any sort of up-do, you'll be close to a Geisha hair style in one century or another. Put in a hair stick or two, and a pretty comb, and you've got the look.
The Makeup
The Geisha did their entire face in stark white, to emphasize that this was a role they were playing. But the white makeup does not go entirely to the kimono. There is a thin area of skin all around the neck, especially in the oh-so-seductive back area. The kimono was worn a bit low on the back, with that skin peeking out. The idea is to tantalize the viewer with the thought that under all of that makeup (and clothes) the geisha was indeed bare skin. There was little other makeup - the eyebrows were dark and very thin, the lips were bright red.
