KELSEY WEISS
STAFF WRITER
As Halloween approaches, college students are getting ready with their costumes and plans. They are choosing between dressing cute or dressing scary and are deciding who they want to become on Halloween night.
However, women’s Halloween costume choices can be rather narrow. If a person were to look for a Halloween costume for adult women, you will see that most costumes include short dresses or skirts and some type of heeled shoe. Not necessarily the most comfortable choices.
While living in the state of Michigan with the unpredictable weather, this could be a rather daring choice.
“Men have free reign over what they wear for Halloween, women do not get that option,”said Dylan Cour (‘21) who is dressing up as Eeyore.
“As a female there are really only two options for costumes, ‘sexy’ or ‘plain,’and more frequently you find that people tend to take the ‘sexy’ route,” said Nadia Swiecicki (‘20) who is dressing up as a sexy librarian.
It seems like Halloween has changed from a holiday about collecting candy and being scared to a time to show off as much or as little as you want without giving it a second thought.
“I did go the sexy route. But that’s because I feel like it is expected of someone my age,” said Swiecicki.
The pressure for college women to dress sexy but not too sexy where they get to the point that they are slut-shamed can be a deciding factor on what they wear for Halloween festivities.
“I think that limiting women to being sexy on Halloween is one of the dumbest things I have heard. That is why I never do it,” said Rachel Whipple (‘20) who is dressing up as a fellow classmate.
The debate on how sexy is too sexy brings up the issue that haunts most college women, will I be “slut shamed” for what I am wearing? Or worse, will someone think what I am wearing is an invitation for an unwanted sexual advance?
Women have these thoughts in their head on a day to day basis. These fears can be heightened when deciding on a Halloween costume.
“My costume is made up from stuff from my own day to day closet. It is not completely indecent so I do not think I will have an issue,” said Swiecicki.
Should people worry that how they dress for Halloween could impact how people view them on that night and in day to day life?
“I am not going to treat someone differently because of how they choose to dress. They are adults and can make their own decisions even if I do not agree with it,” said Cour.
Halloween should be a time where you can let go, be carefree and be someone entirely different. Slut shaming is never okay. What a person wears is not for you to judge or have an opinion on.
Please know that no matter what you are wearing for Halloween, an unwanted advance is still unwanted. Your safety is a priority and it is your choice what you wear.
