Short, skimpy halloween costumes have been documented for a hundred years, going all the way back to the silent film stars of early Hollywood. It wasn't until much later that mainstream America embraced the super-short, super-tight costumes - beginning in the same era that brought us the micro mini. While the 60's may have been the advent of sexy Halloween in America, it wasn't until the 90's that the trend began to climb beyond large metropolitan cities and into homes across the US.
By today's standards the "sexy" costumes that began it all, such as Muriel Evan's unamused witch from the late 1920's, aren't considered risqué at all. As shorter hem lines and tighter outfits have become standard wear, costumes have continued to press boundaries, resulting in barely there outfits that show far more than they conceal.
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While the Halloween trend of skin certainly raises ire for promoting gender stereotypes and inequality, it's not the sexy witch and slutty nurse costumes that are at fault. It's us. Costume companies make costumes to sell. If they don't sell, they stop making them; supply and demand, probably the simplest economic principle in existence. As long as we're buying these sexy costumes, supplier will keep making them. And realize that if the longer hemmed, less skin-baring costumes sold as well as the short, sexy costumes we'd have more of them on the shelves.
But what is this trend telling us and where is it going? Is the evolution of Halloween sexy going to end up with us wearing nothing but body paint as costumes? No. We've reached the pinnacle of barely there costumes, as evident by the massive push-back in the last couple years against the trend. Does that mean we'll all be in ankle length costumes in a few years? No on that one too, but expect to see more mid-length hemlines in the next few years as suppliers try to offset the backlash they're currently getting.
The interesting thing about these sexy costumes is that the most popular of them are either licensed costumes, cute costumes, silly costumes such as the "Sexy Watermelon", or costumes that, while skin-baring and sexy, are symbols of strength and equality for women. A popular lingerie website, with an extensive sexy costume selection, lists their #1 selling costume for this year as a SWAT costume, and while no real SWAT officer would be wearing that little on the job, the symbolism behind the costume speaks volumes. We maybe be bearing nearly all for Halloween, but we're doing it in the guise of strong women and professionals, adorable animals, joke-style costumes, and even the Statue of Liberty - which happens to be #4 on the aforementioned website's list.
Are we being sexually objectified at Halloween? Sure we are. And it will continue even if the hem lines reach our ankles. You cannot dictate the thoughts of others, and some people will always see women as objects more than people. Instead of worrying about what others are thinking, wear your costumes for you - short or long, tight or billowing, it doesn't matter as long as when you look in the mirror you see a confident, complex woman and not just an object of sexual interest. Let others think what they will. The devaluation begins only when we think of ourselves as less than what we are.
She's EIGHT years old and the costumes for her age had thigh high splits and "sexy" costumes? Wow. Things are far worse than even I imagined. Sounds like she's got her head on right though! That's really good to hear about any girl or woman.
THank you for being the first person in ever, blaming consumers. They wouldn't make slutty costumes if people didn't buy them.