“In the real world, Halloween is when kids dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total sl*t and no other girls can say anything else about it.” (Mean Girls, 2004)
Halloween is a time when you get to express yourself freely with little to no judgment. When it comes to costumes, it’s a sea of endless possibilities. Well, sometimes. For girls, Halloween is a bit trickier when it comes to costumes. You have to cover your skin or else people will think you are trying to be sl*tty, even if it’s not meant to be sexy. For example, the Patrick costume I wore last year featured a pink tank top, a green skirt with purple flowers, fishnet stockings, and black boots. Some of you avid Spongebob fans may realize that I was dressed as Patrick with the fishnets and long legs at the end of the Spongebob Squarepants movie which is so funny, right? Well, throughout the night, I was catcalled twice and some people even gave me judgmental looks which was extremely uncalled for.
Women don’t always dress just for attention. Some dress in comfy costumes like onesies, some like to make funny costumes, and yes, there are also women who dress as sexy versions of various things. Just because a girl dresses this way, doesn’t mean that she deserves to be judged or gawked at. They can choose to dress more scantily clad for a variety of reasons. Some may feel more confident in these outfits and are trying to raise their self-esteem while others may like attention, so long as it is wanted attention and not slut shamers trying to bring women down.
No one should be made to feel small, uncomfortable, and gross about themselves because of unwanted looks and comments. It doesn’t matter the gender of the person, they deserve respect and to feel good about themselves. Halloween is a time to get together and have fun with people and that shouldn’t be ruined by disgusting remarks and judgmental stares. If a sexy costume makes a woman feel good about herself, people should be ok with that.