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Why You Don’t Need to Wear a ‘Sexy’ Halloween Costume

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Wilfrid Laurier chapter.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll know the feeling of dread at walking into any Halloween store and being confronted with rows upon rows of ‘sexy’ Halloween costumes. Long gone are the days of being a fairy or witch. Now, the Halloween stores are lined with ‘sexy’ versions of costumes that you would have worn as a child. They’re skimpy and often meant to be paired with heels that will leave your feet terribly blistered by the end of the night (the struggle is real). There is a strong expectation versus reality.

I expect to look like this after getting my costume on:

But end up looking like this as I try to make the leather catsuit that I bought fit me:

#tallgirlproblems

What happened to the days of scary costumes? Or dressing up as a popular meme to make people laugh? Not only will you be more comfortable (no heels or confining lingerie-like costumes), but you’ll also make more of a statement. Don’t feel that you must squeeze yourself into a costume that doesn’t suit who you really are because you feel as if all the other girls on campus will be wearing them (they won’t)! Make a statement and show a new side of yourself! Halloween is the perfect time to experiment with a style that you may never wear on a regular basis or get to put yourself into the shoes of a celebrity or character for a night.

(Yes, even dressing as a chicken is acceptable.)

You’ll be far more comfortable in something that you feel good in, and will let you last the whole night out. We’ve all been at the point where we are wearing a strapless shirt/dress and just want to rip it off and put on a sweater and sweatpants. No one wants that feeling when you’re meant to be having a good time!

Don’t feel pressured by your friends or community to dress in a sexy costume just because you feel like it’s what is expected of you (ah yes, peer pressure – even worse in university)! While I’m not attending any Halloween parties this year, I know for certain that I would be dressing as a crazy cat lady if I was attending one (far from who I am? Not really. But shh).

Halloween is a time to have fun and make some memories that will last forever. Whether you’re staying in or going to a party, make the most of your Halloween this year! Cuddling up on the couch and watching a scary film (or a funny/scary film, if that’s your thing) can be just as worthwhile as going out. Plus, you’ll have all the leftover Halloween candy to yourself if you are an off-campus student (if you’re in residence, I recommend taking advantage of Halloween candy deals and buying a box. Treat yourself).

Overall, we can each take a lesson from Cady Heron when wanting to bring the regular ‘spook’ back into the Halloween season:

Happy Halloween!

Bronte Behling

Wilfrid Laurier '23

A second year Cultural Studies and Film Studies double major student at Wilfrid Laurier University, Bronte has had a passion for creative writing since middle school where she took an online summer course about J.R.R Tolkien's the Silmarillion. A cat lover, Star Wars fan and podcast enthusiast she aims to gain more writing experience through this publication in order to pursue her post-degree goal of becoming a journalist.
Rebecca is in her 5th year at Wilfrid Laurier University.  During the school year, she can be found drinking copious amounts of kombucha, watching hockey and procrastinating on Pinterest. She joined HCWLU as an editor in the Winter 2018 semester, and after serving as one of the Campus Correspondents in 2019-20, she is excited to be returning for the 2020-21 school year! she/her