Are ‘Sexy’ Halloween Outfits For Women An Issue? Are They Feminist?
Halloween. Pumpkins are ready for carving, scary flicks are trending, and it’s time to pick a costume from the myriad of options.
As a woman, do you choose: Traditional – a long flowing black dress with pointy hat and gnarled broom? Terrifying – gory make-up and contact lenses that make your eyes look hollow? Sexy – a busty cheerleader with a drip of blood coming from your mouth to remind everyone that yes, you’re really hot, but you are also dead because it is Halloween after all.
From traditionally titillating, to ironic and hilarious (sexy pizza or Spongebob), sexy Halloween outfits have been a mainstay for a couple of decades now. Citing around 2000 as the time that sexy Halloween outfits really started to kick off, Mic references pop culture for inspiring ‘skimpy Halloween costumes’, specifically Britney Spears for popularising the sexy schoolgirl outfit (why it’s now commonplace to sexualise school children is even more of an issue than the topic at hand, but I digress).
In 2004, popular teen movie Mean Girls was released which includes a Halloween party filled with teenagers flaunting their figures and sipping on drinks. Lindsay Lohan’s character, Cady, states that ‘in girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.’ Which, for the most part, is true – dressing in skimpy outfits on October 31st is so normal that many of us wouldn’t bat an eyelid, unless nipples and labia were on show. But, are ‘sexy’ Halloween outfits for women a big deal? Are they feminist, even?
It’s not about how much skin is on show, necessarily, but it’s still not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer as far as I’m concerned.
I am an advocate for self-expression and people dressing however they want, whether that’s in barely anything or covered head to toe. I don’t have an issue with seeing girls on nights out wearing skirts so short that to bend over would mean exposing their underwear – or lack thereof – to the general public because that’s not my call to make, it’s theirs. In a sense, I feel the same about revealing Halloween outfits.
On the other hand, the part of me that adores the macabre and welcomes movies that give me goosebumps does wish that it wasn’t so filtered down with things that don’t represent anything remotely terrifying. If I decide to celebrate Halloween, I enjoy scouting out scary movies, games, and feeling my soul leave my body after a jump-scare. But…that’s my thing, and Halloween means different things to different people; if that means someone dressing in their skimpiest outfit and having a night out on the town with the girls, who am I to disapprove? I can do Halloween my way, others can do it theirs. Live and let live, right?
In the same Mic article referenced above, Theresa Avila makes an interesting point about furthering the ‘women as sex objects’ narrative that’s so prevalent these days. If people expect women to dress a certain way, and women are encouraged to comply (especially if that’s all they see on a website), it sends the message that women are to be ogled, even on a conventionally non-sexy holiday. Sexiness in and of itself isn’t bad, but objectivation is.
Whilst I understand – and almost agree with – this viewpoint, it ignores the fact that women do have agency over their own bodies, even if that means wearing next-to-nothing. If a woman wants to dress in a sexy Halloween outfit because it makes her feel good or even empowered, why shouldn’t she? Saying that this ‘furthers the women as sex objects norm’ almost feels like women can’t win if they want to dress provocatively for Halloween.
In terms of ‘are they feminist?’ or not, I think the answer can be summed up quite easily: it’s feminist to give women agency and choice over themselves, in all situations.
Women should be able to dress however they want for Halloween without others making them feel bad for their outfit or costume (unless said costume is offensive, like blackface…definitely call people out for blackface). The only way that Halloween outfits like this would be un-feminist is if they were the only options we had, especially if men had a wider variety of alter-egos to choose from. It’s akin to seeing a little girl dressed in pink playing with Barbies and a big dollhouse – there’s nothing un-feminist about that, unless that was the only choice she was allowed to have.
To conclude, I don’t see an issue with ‘sexy’ Halloween outfits, I just find it strange that a spooky holiday is also associated with outfits that sexualise skeletons, fast food, or the President of the United States.
Written by Shanade McConney
My name is Shanade and I’ve been passionate about writing for as long as I can remember. I've been known to play Fortnite for an obscene amount of time, I love putting a good outfit together, and I process life insurance applications near Bristol, where I’ve been based for 2 years. I’m trying to live my best life, whatever that might look like, and hope I never lose sight of the things that bring me joy.