We love Halloween. We really do. But sometimes, Halloween brings out the worst in people — specifically when it comes to costumes. Even though each year we say, “come on, people. It’s (insert year here). Are we really still wearing these problematic costumes?” we can always count on seeing a highly questionable getup come into the picture every year. In 2018, we’re still battling the “sexy geisha” costume.
Available on Fashion Nova’s website for $34.98, the geisha costume isn’t actually marketed as a “sexy” costume. But with a hemline hitting just above the knees, and being lumped in with the revealing “Harem Nights” outfit and the “Beetle Babe” Beetlejuice costume, we gather that the Fashion Nova geisha look isn’t going for cultural accuracy.
The costume comes complete with a kimono, an obi (a traditional Japanese sash), that very short skirt, and “hair sticks,” the website reads. Of course, Fashion Nova isn’t the first or only retailer to sell a geisha Halloween costume — HalloweenCostumes.com and Spirit Halloween currently have their own renditions. However it’s a bit shocking that Fashion Nova didn’t get the memo that cultural appropriative costumes aren’t acceptable anymore.
What’s worse is that according to an October 1st Teen Vogue report, the word “geisha” was originally spelled “geshia” in the listing. Hoo boy.
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The fetishization of geishas spawned from Western misconceptions about geishas’ role in Japanese society. During World War II, Japanese sex workers would often dress as geishas to entice Western soldiers, and the misunderstanding blew up from there. Although there are no rules regarding a geisha’s chastity, geishas are not in any way sex workers.
Geishas undergo years of training to become proficient in classical arts and hospitality. They’re entertainers and act as guides in teaching foreigners about Japanese culture. But unfortunately, the Western misinterpretation as to what a geisha actually does has carried over into the 21st century. That’s how we have frustratingly ended up with “sexy geisha” Halloween costumes.
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Fashion Nova and other Halloween costume retailers are taking financial advantage of the problematic historic misconception. Please, don’t buy into it. With so many other costumes on the market, do yourself and Japanese culture a favor and click away from the sexy geisha.