This is an interesting topic and something I see come up a lot in wig advice threads. Yellow or Blonde, what color should a wig be? It’s a challenge that can make or break a cosplay! Some people argue that yellow never is good, however I don’t believe that it’s true and I am going to go over some ways to determine if you should choose a blonde or yellow wig!
Obvious Blondes
These characters tend to have a lighter color of hair that is more blonde than yellow anyway. These generally should be a blonde wig.
Yellow Hair, Normal World
In some situations the character will have a very yellow hair color, but is still supposed to be human or appear human. There are few situations where a bright yellow actually works, but in these situations it doesnt. I would reccomend a golden blonde wig which will have more color to it, but still look fairly natural.
Yellow Hair, Other World
Most of the time yellow wigs look bad, they look fake because it is so unnatural. However there are situations where yellow hair is possibly the better choice because the character is not from this world, or isn’t human. With yellow, sometimes it is better to opt for a pale yellow, or a blonde/yellow mix rather than something bright and solid.
Yellow, or Maybe Blonde?
There are characters where it’s tough to decide. The hair can work as both yellow or blonde. An example would be naruto, cosplays of the character look good with both blonde or a pale yellow, and sometimes it looks okay with a brighter yellow. In this case, the best thing to do is look through existing cosplays of the character and decide what you think looks the best, and if you want to do a realistic version of the character or a very cartoony version.
Choosing a Yellow Wig
The biggest problem with yellow wigs are that they are this unnatural, obnoxious, bright color that just looks bad. It doesn’t look natural or realistic, it just burns the eyes! So here is a quick guide to choosing a yellow that looks good.Say no to neon!
If it is a bright bight neon yellow it is going to look bad. Most of the time these are also party wigs which means they end up being low quality as well.
Bright Yellows are a Sometimes Wig
These are fairly bright but a little toned down from a neon wig. These generally should be used for characters that you want to have very yellow hair and not look natural. Most of the time it would be good to avoid these wigs.
Golden Yellow Brick Road to Success
If you want a character’s hair to be yellow but don’t want it to be vibrant and in your face, go with a golden yellow. Golden yellows usually are a darker blonde and yellow mix which gives you a good strong color but without the eye burning.
Mellow-Yellow Blonde
Yellow blonde wigs are good for characters who have a light blonde / light yellow hair color. It also looks natural but doesn’t have a the bright boom that the golden yellow has.
Source: cosplaytutorial.com
