This year, curvy girls are retiring unflattering, stereotypical costumes and stepping out of hiding. Modest witch and oversized hot dog costumes are out. Our bodies are impossible to ignore and off-the-charts stunning, so why shouldn’t we have costumes that match the energy? Here are five ways to ensure your Halloween look radiates the confidence that curvy girls deserve to show off.
1. DRESS FOR YOUR GAZE
Curvy girls are told to dress “flattering,” which translates to “shrinking,” but nothing you wear can (or should) hide what you’ve got. This Halloween, the only gaze that matters is yours. Forget “slimming silhouettes” and “balancing proportions,” you’re not a geometry problem. Even the “body-positive” movement can feel like another competition for approval, so pick the costume that makes you double-take in the mirror. Choose costumes from a place of freedom, play, and self-adoration.
2. EXAGGERATION IS KEY
Curvy girls are told their entire lives that they’re “too loud,” “too extra,” or “too much,” so make it your aesthetic. Lean into the drama with “too much” sparkle and “too much” volume. The world says we take up too much space, so your costume should scream, “That’s the point!” Curvy bodies are the blueprint of glamour, so exaggerate it with tulle skirts, dramatic makeup, giant wigs, and sky-high stilettos.
3. SHOW THE SKIN, GIRL
We grew up “violating” dress codes for wearing the same tank tops and shorts as every girl because our bodies filled them out differently, teaching curvy girls that our skin equals disruption. This Halloween, lean into disruption by lowering the neckline, investing in the miniskirt, or opting for the skintight bodysuit. Layer fishnets under micro-shorts and let gravity do its thing. The same world that told us to cover up profits off cleavage, so let’s stop apologizing for having it.
4. DIY halloween IS SO FETCH!
How many times has a dress fit perfectly, except the cups were five sizes too small? IYKYK. Store-bought costumes might as well come in one size: “tight in the wrong place, loose everywhere else.” Learning to sew, alter, or style is rebellion against the unrealistic, fantasy-driven costumes industry. Recycle lingerie, skirts, corsets, mesh, even swimsuits, and Frankenstein them. The best part is that no one will be dressed like you, meaning you’re destined to stand out.
5. REWRITE THE CHARACTER
When popular “sexy” costumes like the angel, bunny, and nurse tropes only come in a size small, the message about who Halloween and pop culture are built for is clear. The lack of options sends the message that curvy women are unfit to be a “classic.” When curvy girls believe they’ll never get to wear their dream costume, we edit ourselves out before we have a chance to be the main character. Take back the fantasy by dressing as a six-foot fairy, a voluptuous angel, or a thick Disney princess. We’ll all thank you for it.
Every curve deserves the spotlight this spooky season. It’s time to revolutionize Halloween body standards and the costumes that make us self-conscious. The trick isn’t pulling off a costume that hides us; we need to pull the focus by showing up loud, skin tight, dramatic, and self-made. This year, wear everything you were once told was “inappropriate” and turn it into a reclamation of your body. Remember, we are the fantasy. See you out there, divas.