It's almost 2017. Is it acceptable to cosplay a geisha yet

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Do it

>>9246305
I think it's a moot point because to properly play any type of geisha you need very expensive kimono and authentic makeup, otherwise it looks like shit. I've never seen even a decent one so it always looks more like parody than like it is done from admiration.

Otoh, since Japanese do have Geisha henshin studios, is the that basically cosplaying one for a day?

it has to be done right

real geisha are dripping with expensive shit and are graceful as fuck. i wouldn't really call it a cosplay because the title of "geisha" is basically an occupation/status

geisha are real people

it's like cosplaying a social worker

>>9246314
>you need very expensive kimono and authentic makeup, otherwise it looks like shit.
Bwahhabahahahahahhjhahaha

Only to hyper-pedantic culture policing autists like yourself

>>9246318
Military cosplay is a thing.

>>9246320
i guess you're right

you guys do what you want, just try not to look stupid

most westerners in geisha-garb end up looking tacky as hell

>>9246318
I mean people cosplay as police and shit and they're real people

>>9246319
Oh really? Can you show me even a handful that have done it well then?

>>9246331
Looks bretty good to me

>>9246305
Maiko, nearly impossible due to expense. Geiko maybe if they know how to wear and have very good kimono/accessories/wig and learn the makeup.
Otherwise it just looks cheap and tacky.

>>9246348
On the right: oiran hair sticks in wrong wig style, plain outer kimono, junior maiko lip style done badly, collars are sloppy, obi and obi accessories are wrong for any geisha or oiran style.
Also those brows, wtf?

>>9246305
>to cosplay a geisha
it would have to be a specific character in order to count as cosplay, and then the issue would just be accuracy to the character. you could say you are cosplaying an OC but kimono nuts will nitpick your attempt if you do not know what you are doing.

>>9246305
Literally everyone who's been posted in this thread looks awful. Just. No.

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Literally every single fucking person in this thread with white makeup and a wig reminds me of blackface. I dont see how its any less offensive than someone painting their face dark and wearing an afro or dreadlocked wig. Geisha hair and makeup is just so distinctively Japanese it looks ridiculous on white people. Just wear the kimono well with your natural hair and tasteful makeup, I promise you you'll look so much better.

>>9246477
While I can agree I haven't seen a single flattering take on geisha or maiko here, isn't it a bit of a stretch? Geisha makeup is for a specific profession while blackface is made to ridicule people's natural skin tone with inaccurate stereotypes. Geishas only wear this makeup when they are on the job; at the end of the day, they can wash off the makeup.

I think it's a stretch to even think most cosplayers who aren't into kimono can even get one proper yukata set together with the right accessories and wear it nicely for a full day.

Any geisha cosplay that doesn't suck is a unicorn. Yet to be seen.

>>9246520
Agreed. A lot of people who wear kimono hire a professional to dress them in it. Generally young women wear brighter prints with long sleeves and married women wear muted mature prints. Yukata would be a better option for cosplayers, but geishas wear expensive, fashionable kimonos, not yukatas.

Now I'm interested to see if a "unicorn" geisha cosplay exists.

Geisha is a pretty hard look to get down properly. The Immortal Geisha forum is the only english resource that will get you the best resources and feedback.

You can dress up like a geisha if you don't mind looking like a fucking cringey gaijin. It always ends up looking so awful.

Just wear a yukata instead if you really need to be totemo kawaii and fulfill your inner weeaboo or something.

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>>9246477
There is an American working as a geisha under the name Kimicho. Her outfits and style is gorgeous but she also has the help of a professional okiya and she has a small frame and features to begin with.

Also doesn't help that the geisha hair is extremely hard to nail with cosplayer wig resources. Professionals wear expensive wigs with stiff, custom lacefront hairlines.

>>9246528
Immortal Geisha forum is closed, continues as a facebook group and highly frowns upon Geisha cosplay.

>>9246530
She is one of maybe 7-10 foreign Geisha, the real thing. And I think she still looks a little odd but she must be skilled or she wouldn't be one.

I think cosplaying a Geisha successfully would include proper clothing, wig and makeup styled correctly. Otherwise it looks pretty offensive.

>>9246320
>>9246323
Can we really call that cosplaying? I mean there is a difference between cosplaying something and dressing up as something.

>>9246529
This!
There are lots of very pretty ways to wear yukata and all kinds of kimono as a western person and not look like an idiot providing you learn how to properly dress yourself. Also kimono hime style is so cute, modern 'oiran style' yukata like Sweet Angel is pretty etc.
(and not quite so weeaboo)

>>9246537
Wow, I learned something new today. I take it all of these foreign geisha work in Kyoto, right?

>>9246583
None do, Kyoto/Gion still has not accepted it. They are all in Tokyo based okiya.

>>9246537
>Kimicho
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyO8oX3Yhfo

I wish I could be that graceful

>>9246539
I wouldn't care which if it was done correctly. I think it needs to be done as good as a henshin studio to be acceptable. Anything less looks cheap and like a parody. Even that level is still far less than a real Geisha, lacking on some accessories and often not even seasonally correct.

Kimono collectors have collected Geisha kimono and accessories, it's not impossible, just expensive. The makeup can be learned, there are authentic shiroi kits on eBay. Again, expensive.

>>9246585
Ikr? I follow her insta. Beautiful. I don't want to play Geisha dress up but I really appreciate the elegance and refinement of kimono and watching them is pretty fascinating.

>>9246584
I wonder how she trained to become a geisha and who helped her learn all the intricacies. This is interesting.

>>9246607
Here's an article with interview http://iamaileen.com/kimicho-tokyo-geisha-interview-foreigner-japan/

>>9246533
forum is being reopened/revamped, but I'm not sure if it'll be actually open to new posts. there's also a wiki

'cosplaying a geisha' is an awful idea unless you want to drop at least 300€ or so for one outfit, and even if you're willing to do that you'll still have to learn to dress yourself, do your hair, do your make up, etc etc etc. the effort put in is way too high for the reward, along with the risk of offending a lot of people and just looking shit. just buy a cheapish yukata and learn how to dress it up a little

>>9246629
That's good to hear, I'll check it.
Geisha kimono and accessories are quite a bit more expensive, 300€ wouldn't begin to cover it.

>>9246636
yeah I'm not actually very familiar with the prices, I'm just an IG lurker on facebook and didn't want to go into outrageous prices without being certain myself. 300€ would be about what you need to build a fairly formal kimono set when starting from scratch if you're buying everything and don't want to skimp on things like padding and kanzashi, I guess

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>>9246429
this, they all look like Data trying to understand humanity by exploring Earth's ancient cultures

>>9246530
didn't see this when I posted. she actually does look good.

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>>9246331

>>9246641
How do you find geisha on instagram?

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Can we make this a geisha general? Does anyone have book recommendations about geisha? Fiction but not shitty like memoirs of a geisha

>>9246670
IG as in Immortal Geisha, not insta
I feel like most kitsuke activity and geimaiko snaps are posted on facebook but I bet there are some on insta, #kitsuke tag is giving some tolerable coords for example

>>9246681
Non-fiction:
East Wind Melts the Ice, and a couple of other books by Liza Dalby.
Books by Mineko Iwasaki

Nothing regarding Sayuki, she's a shady lady.

>>9246670
I follow only one there, most good photos are posted on Flickr by followers and fans, a couple have facebooks but screen their posts to friends.

The 'don't be a spergy weeaboo' warning applies doubly strong when on IG or commenting on anything to do with geisha.

>>9246641
I lurk IG too, more because of kitsuke and because I like to see people's accessory collections.

>>9246670
The IG forum used to have more threads about current Geisha and lists, photos, etc. but I don't think those are published on the facebook IG group.

>>9246342
I think I understand now why they only paint the center part of their lips.

>>9246709
Maiko paint them according to their rank.

The one on the right looks like a kuchisake onna.

>>9246512
I agree with you that geisha makeup is a profession's uniform and not some racially linked item, I feel I have to play tongue in cheek devil's advocate and point out blackface is made for a specific profession, minstrel shows.

>>9246537
Offensive to one's sense of style and propriety? Absolutely. Offensive as in racist? You need to step back a bit from the social justice kool-aid.

>>9246717
Offensive as in 'a cheap and tacky parody of something elegant' , not SJW-type offensive/muh cultural appropriation.

>>9246358
Thats pretty gay[spoiler]sha[/spoiler]
Anyway you retards stop doing it, dressing as other cultures, thats culture appropriation.
Just wear something from naruto and be done with it, stop stealing other peoples culture you whyto deemon.

>>9246734
Japanese actually like to see people in kimono, done traditionally or as high or edgy fashion, dummy. Or even kimono crafts using the fabric.

Just not shitty 'gee-shah gurl' and 'sa-moo-rai' costumes. Why anyone gets it in their head to cosplay a geisha when they don't even know how to put on a yukata is a weird mystery.

>>9246740
Wonder what do they think about this then.
https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/kimono-wednesdays-cancelled-at-bostons-museum-of-fine-arts-panel-convened-to-discuss-this-cultural-appropriation/

Anyway, I see any of you kids appropriating keemonos at one of dem cossplays I'll gather gang and we throw keefir and tomatoes on you.

>>9246744
Old news. The protesters were American haffu. Japanese are fine with people in kimono and kimono makers encourage everyone to wear and enjoy kimono. Stop being a troll, you nugget.

I'm so sick of this cultural aproppiation shit, it's so racist. People fighted for equality and integration and now everything is separated again, it's so sad

>>9246748
I think some of the protesters were even Chinese and Korean. People these days have so little going on in their lives they latch on to whatever will make them feel like a good guy fighting an evil overlord, even if it means doing bad things.

>>9246744
If you did 30 seconds of research you would find there were interviews of native japanese people done by people reporting after the protest, and they were universally supportive of people trying on kimono. It's a fashion, not some religious symbol.

Grorious nipponese here. Do what you want, but if you end up looking tacky or cheap we reserve the right to point and laugh.

>>9246305
Nope.
It's like wa-lolita. In theory, that is doable too if you know how to do basic kitsuke but very hard to do to a level that people will think looks good.

Good enough kimono and accessories to even approximate Geisha are expensive, the satin bathrobe brigade mostly shown here aren't up to par. Wigs are either very expensive or need a skilled wig stylist to even come close and the makeup is more than just fake shiro nuri done with clown white greasepaint and baby powder.

>>9246799
I think that's more than fair, actually.
Personally, if I wanted to take on some Geisha elements, I'd go cyber and get stuff from Takuya Angel.

>>9246760

To be fair, not everyone wants to be equal.

>>9246804
Wa lolita is not difficult. It only has a bad rep because most of the wa coords we see are with cheap ita mainpieces from bodyline or taobao that don't actually use kimono/yukata fabric. If you get one of those Meta JSKs and coord it normally it's not difficult.

>>9246914
Most people don't like those Meta pieces either but I agree with your general statement, those are well done and most of the rest are cheap/shitty.

Few people incorporate real yukata or kimono pieces, hakama, haori or attempt an obi though and there is potential. I have a couple of old kimono ageha magazines that show it done nicely, the kimono bottom tucked up and hidden under a coordinating lolita skirt and a pretty obi in a fancy musubi.

>>9246744
You're not even Japanese so don't act like you're talking for them. Kimono are basically our equivalent of dresses/pants and a shirt depending on the formality. You don't see any people saying you can't wear a dress because it's cultural approro do you (because the western culture is dominant)?

>>9246760
SJWs are all about the 'seperate but equal' bullshit that people sprouted during Jim Crowe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkELd1lYM8g

>>9247733
hooooooly shit. what a mess.

why?

...people have no respect these days

>>9246305
people will always get mad.
Hell the chinese are still pissed despite the fact that ww2 is fast becoming past living memory and everyone that made any kind of decision is long dead.

I dunno you'll always get people who hate you for doing it anon just do what you want and try not to get too upset when people get mad and call it cultural appropriation.

>>9246734
It's just fancy or traditional clothes and it's ok to wear if you wear it properly. I'm not offended when I see Japanese people wearing jeans, cowboy hats, and cowboy boots.

Please do and then perform seppuku.

>>9246331
I love kimono, white make up, but I really hate traditional japanese hairdo.

>>9246525
considering geisha wear hand paint silk kimono I doubt our regular cosplayer has enough money to match their elegance.

Unless it's a flithy rich cosplayer.

>>9246941
sjw are now advocating for apartheid. It's going full circle , lel.

>>9247942
You can actually can get used furisode and other formal kimono for pretty cheap on yahoo Japan.

>>9247788
There are still people from ww2 alive

>>9246642
Perfect comparison on the makeup.

I appreciate the amount of quality info that's been shared in this thread though, American geisha was pretty interesting to look up.

>>9247788

What you're saying is not really relevant though, and like WWII itself 'becoming a past living memory' the demographic of Chinese who are mad enough at Japanese to go mindlessly wreck their stuff are by and far old enough to remember WWII, which is pretty old.

In any case, it's not really even tangentially related to this conversation revolving around cultural appropriation with Filipino Americans being mad on the behalf of Japanese who don't actually give a fuck, and so forth.

>>9246305
The only way to dress up like a geisha, and not look cringey, is to let yourself be taken care off by the pros, aka Japanese maiko/geisha make-over studios. It's expensive, but money well spent for looking pro instead of cheap. http://www.kyotomaica.com/plan/geisha/ http://www.kyoto-maiko.com/English/

>>9248063

Only tangentially related, but I seriously regret not going to one of those dressup places to walk around in a kimono all day when I was in Japan.

I'm not pretty enough to deserve to wear a kimono.
But I'm ordering one, hand made for my BJD.

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>>9246305
It's fine as long as it's a character. Fictional geisha characters exist. Claiming OC as an excuse for cheap choices will end up a train wreck anyway, no matter the character.

Trying to match a real person is even more likely to end as a train wreck. It takes incredible attention to detail. Favorable physical appearance is a must. Proportions, bone structure and wrong clothing silhouette will fuck you 8/10 times.

All the shitty cosplays of all the non-animated movies and series of all of the times.

I pick not looking like a train wreck.

>>9246314
"Otoh" who the fuck and what kind of a dumbass comment is this?

>>9246533
pfft i've dropped 350 on just one layer and a formal obi is at least another 150

>>9253565
i meant to reply to >>9246629

>>9246320
Yes, but most stolen valor fags look like shit in uniform.

>>9253972
We have a whole board for military cosplayers
>>>/k/catalog

You can cosplay anyone you want.

>>9246318
tell that to all the people who cosplay Obama, Trump, and Clinton.

It seems to me like a lot of these "geishas" are actually kabuki cosplayers? Hence why there's so many men and also people with intricate paint around them.

>>9246477
black face was literally meant to represent blacks, white makeup doesn't represent asians it's literally part of the get up even for asians holy shit