What Does The Modern Woman Wear On Halloween?

By Kate Mueller on October 28, 2014

via sites.psu.edu

With Halloween around the corner, the age old dilemma of what costume to wear stumps the women and young girls of today.

In college especially, it gets difficult because no one wants to be the zombie bride (like Lindsay Lohan in “Mean Girls”) when everyone else is the sexy Playboy Bunny.

But what has made this once-a-year tradition so difficult? Gender roles: the need to conform to the archetype of traditional women’s roles and attractiveness.

#TBT

Let’s rewind and look at some Halloween pictures we could put up for Throwback Thursday on Instagram. I know it’s embarrassing, but I’m trying to make a point here.

Ladies, what are you dressed as? Most likely, you were thrown into a princess, fairy, cute animal or some kind of pink costume. Now, if pink is your favorite color and you loved to wear a tiara – all power to you.

But most of the time that was our only choice, whether it was our parent’s decision or the costume shop’s decision. Boys? You were probably a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle one year and a WWE star the next and whatever you wanted to be – as long as the kid in the costume picture looked cool and masculine.

via OKC FOX

Walmart got into some trouble last Halloween for having a toddler costume labeled with the words “naughty leopard.” It was promptly taken off the shelves when more than a few parents complained about how distasteful it was.

It makes you wonder – why do we have to be a “cowgirl cutie,” when we can just be a cowgirl? Why are those extra descriptions even necessary? Well, to keep the gender roles intact.

As a child we faced always having to conform to our gender, whether you actually identified with it or not. So the pretty princess Halloween costume or little lady bug were fine as young girls. Just as the stealthy ninja and country cowboy were fine for boys.

But what happens when a boy wants to dress as a fairy? Or a girl wants to dress as a (masculine) ninja?

Zoe Saldana, who is expecting twin boys, went on “The Queen Latifah Show” to talk about her childhood and how she never really conformed to what her mother would expect – she wanted to be a ninja every year.

Every year, we are growing farther and farther from typical gender roles. In schools, we are starting to get more gender neutral bathrooms that make it more comfortable for transgender and gender nonconforming students.

We are starting to see some female athletes on high school football teams and women’s sports are gaining more attention. Women are starting to become breadwinner of families (despite the pay gap) and aren’t solely the child provider, homemaker or cook. We are being viewed as more equal, but clearly we still have some ways to go.

Fast forward

In college, we are pressured even more to conform to the sexualized Halloween getup. As we walk the aisles of our favorite costume spot, we have limitless options like the “sexy pirate” or “sassy secretary” or “naughty schoolgirl.”

Besides the few Wonder Woman costumes (which is normally a short skirt or practically underwear), we have very few costumes that exude power, success and strength. We are surrounded by pink and tight spandex that leaves little to the imagination.

In the meantime, men can just wear the normal uniform of a position of power and that’s considered OK. Take a look at the differences in costumes between women and men, wearing the same themed costumes:

via Epic Fail

What does it tell you about modern Halloween? That the fewer the clothes on a woman, the better the costume? That men are allowed to be funny and women pretty much just have to look good? That’s what I see and that’s probably why I’m not a big Halloween fan these days.

So, what is the modern woman supposed to wear on Halloween? Whatever the hell she wants. If you want to be sexy because it’s the “one night of the year you won’t be judged for it,” go ahead, but know you probably will be judged still.

And maybe this year, go for ‘confident sexy’ instead of ‘slutty sexy.’ Sexy doesn’t mean you have to go nearly nude. Trust me, if you’re a more sophisticated sexy, you will get the proper attention you deserve and want.

If you, as a woman, want to dress up as Harry Potter because it’s your favorite character – go for it! If you want to dress up as a doctor, wearing FULL scrubs instead of a short-skirted nurse costume – DO IT!

But DO NOT dress sexy or feminine just to fit in or because it’s what people expect, do it because it’s what you like. If your friends make fun of you, then clearly you need to reevaluate your inner circle. Have fun with it and let go for once.

Don’t let your Halloween choice get the best of you. Be confident, be strong, be YOU – but in a costume.

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