Now, it might just be that I’m getting to the age where “sexy” costumes aren’t nearly as appealing anymore, or that a good chunk of my female friends have children, or that perhaps women in general are just over it, but from what I can see leading up to Halloween 2014, a lot more women are opting for cute, scary or clever over sexy.
Speaking as a male, I actually really like this trend, and I think I can say with some confidence that a lot of girls and women do as well.
Of course, if you’re heading out to the club for your spooky celebrations, you’re most certainly in store for a ton of skimpy, uninspired takes on popular costume ideas. I’ve seen everything from “Sexy ebola nurse” to “Sexy hockey fan” being advertised, and there will always be the classic stripper versions of cops, firefighters and referees (for whatever strange reason the latter, while not exactly fitting in with the theme of the first two, seems to be a timelessly popular costume idea) This makes sense when considering that the atmosphere of a nightclub is certainly a contributing factor, as is the average age of a club goer. Yet even with this in mind, it would appear that a decent percentage of females are deciding to buck this trend and try something different.
When other little girls were going as princesses, my sister went as William Wallace.
I’ve always loved Halloween, and was raised in a house that took costume choice and design very seriously. My mother refused to buy pre-made, Wal-Mart style packaged costumes, instead insisting that we make our own. This adamancy led to some pretty awesome costumes over the year for myself, but more importantly my younger sister. When other little girls were going as princesses, my sister went as William Wallace; complete with a homemade claymore that was as tall as she was. Cut to a few years later, my sister has entered that early-20s stage where most girls decide to wear as little as possible and creativity takes a back seat to cleavage.
Although she had been living on her own for several years, my mother’s influence was still strong, as demonstrated by such awesome costumes as Thing-1 and Thing-2 from The Cat in the Hat, and my personal favourite, when she and her roommate donned housecoats and lukewarm glasses of milk to become the super creepy and potentially incestuous McPoyle brothers from the TV-comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Another friend of mine, Amanda, absolutely nailed her attempt at Dora the Explorer last year.
So this is pretty awesome right? And for those ladies who still yearn to feel sexy and glamorous while maintaining a bit of class and ingenuity, there is a huge pool to draw from. From movies to comics, one can pick from a variety of awesome female characters that don’t require wearing the shortest shorts possible on one of the coldest nights of the year so far. There’s the classics, like Jessica Rabbit and Catwoman, to recent pop culture faves like Maleficent, Harley Quinn, and Elsa from Disney’s smash hit Frozen. And that’s only IF you’re looking to be a girl playing a girl. There’s a billion and one options if being a specific gender isn’t an issue for you, none of which involve fishnet stockings and a push up bra.
It’s unavoidable that there will be a throng of 18 to 21-year-olds dressed in trite and cliché outfits purchased at the last minute from Value Village and Wal-Mart, but it seems that for the most part, this is a trend that people are sick of. Don’t me wrong, there’s something inherently attractive about a girl in thigh-high leather boots with a pair of handcuffs hanging off her belt. But the girl dressed as Peggy Bundy or the Cookie Monster will probably be a lot more fun to talk to.
