Geiko Attire
When a maiko debuted as a geisha, she adopted a whole distinctive look. Gone were the heavy obi binding a kimono as delicate as a tissue. Instead of brightly colored kimono, she wore a more demure color, with subtle embroidery, if there is any at all. Gone was the beautiful torture of the maiko’s hairstyle. Geiko donned a topknot, with fewer waxed sections (today’s geiko wear wigs to avoid the hairdressing pain altogether).
She wore geta, sandals similar to the general population, instead of high platform okobo. Even her makeup changed. Instead of painting her face in full white, geiko would only paint it for performances and rare occasions. And when she did, new geiko only painted their top lips to show their rank. If a geiko continued active geisha work into her 30s, she stopped painting her face altogether to allow her natural beauty to shine through.
