Has anyone else had enough with sexy costumes for women, and yes, even little girls on Halloween? The pervasive push to increasingly glam it up and sex it up on Halloween has turned it into an epidemic. Not to mention you need to be a size two to fit into these costumes. What retailers say is you must either be a sexy kitten or resign yourself to be a pumpkin.
With all of the incredible inspiration available today on sites like Pinterest and Etsy, one would think there would be a little more creativity involved. Most of the costumes advertised for women have the word flirty, sassy, babe, sexy, or seductive in the title. If it’s a dress, it’s either a miniskirt or is slit so high that a girl has to get a Brazilian wax.
Halloween is supposed to be about masquerade. Altering ones appearance is part of the fun but mass media and retail are telling women what they should be on Halloween and that is an object.
Katie Anton is a seasonal employee at one of the many Spirit Halloween costume stores in Arizona. She states, “It can be so difficult for girls who are searching for something fun and creative to be on Halloween, but also don’t want to dress like a slut. They really have no options. Halloween parties aren’t fun when you’re pulling your skirt down the entire time.”
Men have a multitude of super heroes to choose from during Halloween. Female super heroes have been few and far between and if a woman wishes to emulate a super hero, it has to be the cute, sexy version. Even Wonder Woman is forced to run around in what could be best described as a one-piece swim suit
According to the Wall Street Journal, women make up 48% of the digital game playing public but female characters are typically wearing absurdly skimpy costumes while the male characters are covered in armor from head to toe. The only conclusion that can be made is Jabba the Hut has taken up programming.
While men’s Halloween costumes most often offer realism, dignity, and coverage for a chilly October evening, women’s costumes push the boundary of decency and suggest every female secretly wishes to be a skank. There are movements to change this trend for women with imagination like Suzanne Scoggins who created TakeBackHalloween.org as a resource for women who want unique costumes representing important women throughout history like Jane Austen, Joan of Arc or even the Hawaiian goddess Pele.
It’s time to take back Halloween and get creative with your costume planning and make a stand against the slutification of women’s Halloween costumes. Try personalizing a t-shirt instead.