Halloween is the day of kids dressing up as their favorite character, dogs dressed in the family theme, and according to Cady Heron from Mean Girls, “In ‘girl world,’ Halloween is the one day a year where a girl can dress up as a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Today, however, the “girl world” is just society.
Halloween has always been a time when girls can wear whatever they want and be whatever they want – from vampires to nurses. The one issue is that any costume a woman wears often includes the word “slutty” in front of it. Although some women do include that term when searching for their costumes, other women can dress up as whatever they choose but do not include the term and are called a slut.
The societal pressure on women’s bodies enters a whole other level on Halloween. Women can put on nurse outfits and get asked, “Are you a slutty nurse?” In the case that she is just a nurse, the woman will usually feel sexualized. But that is the way things are in this society. A night where women are supposed to feel free in their bodies turns into a night of judgment and scrutiny, where no matter what they wear, they're often reduced to labels rather than celebrated for their creativity or confidence.
The double standard appears when a man wears a costume that includes no shirt or exposed skin. They are simply just that costume with no sexualizing term. According to an article from the Salon, costumes have no “parallel version” when it comes to male costumes. Women can be called a “slutty vampire” but men are just called a “vampire” – why is it the way it is? Women are constantly judged and labeled when wanting to feel comfortable in their bodies.
According to HuffPost, “sexy” Halloween costumes began in the 1970s and have since evolved into what people know as “slutty” costumes. This marked a shift in how women’s bodies are seen — not just as part of their self-expression but as something constantly sexualized. The rise of “sexy” costumes is tied to this larger cultural moment where the idea of liberation and empowerment gets tangled up with societal expectations and the male gaze.
Halloween, a time for fun and creativity, becomes complicated by these double standards. Men can wear revealing costumes without it becoming a statement, while women are almost always reduced to their appearance. Whether they choose to wear a “sexy” costume or something more modest, they still face judgment. Halloween is supposed to be a night when people feel free to be whoever they want, yet the pressure on women to conform to these standards is overwhelming and leaves them feeling objectified.
So why can’t women just wear whatever they want without being labeled? Whether it's a "sexy" costume or something more traditional, the focus should be on personal choice and expression, not on fitting into society’s labels. Halloween should be for everyone to enjoy — no labels, no assumptions. After all, isn’t it supposed to be about having fun and escaping reality?
Suzanne Piper is a junior at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Suzanne know by tweeting her @_suziepiper.
