Tricks for Treats: Students Weigh in on Scandalous Halloween Costumes October 27, 2009
Posted by style in : Style , trackbackGabriella Leone, Broadside Correspondent
In the movie Mean Girls, Lindsay Lohan’s character goes to a Halloween party dressed as a zombie bride by covering herself in a snowball of white fabric, a black wig, fake teeth and dripping blood.
Her costume is creative, but at the party people give her weird looks and ask her why she’s dressed so scary. Lohan’s character then learns that “Halloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.”
It’s nothing new that on Halloween women will be wearing lingerie, barely there dresses and exotic, fetish-like costumes.
There are dirty coppers, naughty nurses, vixen pirates and the oh so many, oh so wrong, sexy Disney-inspired costumes. In America, sex sells and gets you attention, but what kind of attention are women drawing to themselves on Halloween?
Most guys at Mason, and a few from other schools, expressed that they like how women dress on Halloween.
Mechanical engineering major and George Washington University senior Matt Mostafaei said he loves the way girls dress. “What other time of the year than Halloween do you get to see girls dress skanky and not get mad at you for looking at them? They get to look sexy and don’t have to worry about being labeled as trashy.”
Not passing judgment seems to be the Halloween rule. Business major Azim Tariq agrees, saying that both girls and guys like this rule.
Although it seems like the majority of men would appreciate women’s sexy choices for Halloween, some don’t. “I wish girls were more creative and not risqué. I don’t think the spirit of Halloween is to see who can look the sexiest.” Global affairs major Aaron Li said. “I don’t mind but when it comes down to it…it’s kind of sad.”
So, do women dress in suggestive costumes because that’s expected of them? Pressure to look sexy and be attractive is force-fed to women every day through the media, and have you been to the Halloween stores?
Check out the costume display for women at any story and you’ll notice that Leg Avenue, a popular costume company, dominates the majority of the store with their “Sexy Line” of costumes.
We’re talking booty shorts, very short dresses, belly showing shirts, bustiers, bras, stockings and very high heels; clothing items that are usually found in sex stores. The section of creative, more covered costumes usually covers half of an aisle.
Halloween may be nights were women are allowed to dress proactively, but that doesn’t mean a lot of girls like it—just look at what some of the men who liked the sexy costumes said about them. They used words like trashy, slutty and skanky, words women don’t want to be associated with.
“I think some girls do take it too far,” said global and international health major Jacqueline Tañada, but marketing major Allison Jones looked at the way girls dressed differently.
“I think it depends on where people are going—a lot of people that go to house parties are more scantily clad than those that are going out to bars.” Jones said.
She also added that if girls feel comfortable in sexy attire, then more power to them but that “Halloween stores do makes people feel like that is the norm. That’s why I usually go for making my own.” Allison is dressing this year as a Crayon and a Dunkin’ Donut, a basketball player inside of a donut.
Women’s sexy Halloween costumes are controversial. Guys seem to either enjoy looking at women in their costumes or just think they are boring and begging for attention.
Women may not like them, but the majority of women still wear sexy costumes and in the last few years it’s been a competition. It’s not about who is going to wear the most creative costume, but who is going to look the sexiest and get away with it.
Halloween is not really a day where judgment won’t be passed because as soon as your Halloween pictures are posted on Facebook, everyone starts talking.
If you’re wearing a sexy costume, people aren’t likely to say you looked pretty, but that you looked slutty, trashy, sexy or hot just because you’re showing more skin than normal.
If those are words you want people to associate you with, then dress up in any sexy costume that you want—if not, then try to get more creative and fun with it!
If you want to be sexy without the labels, remember that sexiness can be portrayed in any costume, even scary ones because being sexy is all about confidence and charisma, not just your body.
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