Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Five - Geisha Halloween Costumes: Mysterious Geisha Costumes

By Mathieu Williams


The flowing Japanese kimono is the traditional garment of Geisha Halloween costumes. Stylized designs and rich fabrics are the hallmark of the Japanese Geisha. Accomplished in entertainment related skills, the Geisha costume is often associated with traditional rituals such as tea ceremonies. These women begin training at a very young age with focus on gracefully controlled movements and stylized makeup. The geisha girl Halloween costumes are both comfortable and fun to wear with heavy face paints that add mystery to your costume.

The colors and fabrics of traditional Geisha Halloween costumes vary widely. From simple Kimonos with colored sashes to designs with literally feet of flowing sleeves, you may choose silky, sensuous fabrics or heavy tapestries for your Geisha costume. Though easy to wear the more complex designs with very full long sleeves can be a hazard around candles or following a few party beverages and the full hemline of some costumes take practice for proper walking.

Geishas are well known for their far eastern Japanese makeup. The face is often painted white, with some painted heavy enough to make the face look nearly flawless. The lips are filled in with a deep red color. Eyes are lined in black, often with red accents at the corners. Some add this black and red combination to eyebrows as well.

Exotic and mysterious are words often used to describe the Geisha. Hair is long, dark and straight and usually worn as an updo and decorated with sticks designed for the purpose or jewelry. Excellent wigs that mimic the traditional hair styles are available and much easier than trying to replicate the styles with your own hair.

Alternatively, excellent wigs are available that give the Geisha look without hours of hassle with your hair. Don't forget to decorate your hairdo or wig with fancy combs, chopsticks designed for decoration or other baubles.

Though hair ornaments are not used to secure the hair style they are an important part of the Geisha persona. Most popular are accents dangling from hair sticks inserted into the updo but imitation cherry blossoms are also popular.;

No Geisha is completely dressed without a lovely Japanese fan. Elaborate and hand-painted silk is attached to strips of polished bamboo used as spokes. The colors and style vary widely but kimono clad images and graceful limbs with flower blossoms are often found. If a silken fan is beyond your budget, paper and parchment versions are easily found in novelty and import stores. These are well decorated and brilliantly colored and will serve you well for your Halloween Geisha costume.;

The color you choose for your costume is not as important as the richness of the hue. Images of traditional Geisha apparel are easy to find in the library or online. When choosing a fabric look for jewel tones such as royal blues, deep sea turquoise or emerald green. This is not the time for pale colors. Though Japanese kimonos may be in shades of peach or pastels on occasion it's best to use the deep brilliant colors for Geisha Halloween costumes.

Remember to allow plenty of time before your Halloween party to apply your exotic far Eastern makeup as it might take some time to get it just right. Once you don your full costume practice walking smoothly with very short steps to give the impression you are gliding across the floor. This is more difficult than it looks but adds to the character you are creating. Wearing your Geisha Halloween costume you might practice opening your fan to hide your face as you tilt your head forward and gracefully glide off to your Halloween party. Edited by Hetsil Protage




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