"Sexy" Geisha Halloween Costume

It's officially the month where pumpkins, cozy sweaters, and halloween costumes are on everyone's mind. Also, its the time of the year where people like to culturally apropriate and dress as something problematic for halloween. I saw this photo and article in a Teen Vogue article, that really made me think about how people still don't understand that other people's cultures are not a costume.  I really appreciated this article, especially because it was in a magazine that has an audience made up generally of young girls. It is important to remind and educate people on the topic of cultural appropriation. Not only is it important for people to know these "costumes" are wrong, but as well as the stores promoting and selling them. This costume in the photo is of a "Geisha," being sold by Fashion Nova and several other halloween costume stores. Geisha's are an important part of Japanese culture and their attire is not a costume. 

The media plays a large role in showcasing problematic costumes. Not only the media, but celebrities have been seen culturally appropriating many halloween costumes. Just because someone famous wears a costume that is offensive does not make it okay. Here is some examples: