Costumes don’t define you
Halloween is a holiday of masks. It is a day to put on a persona, run around the neighborhood, go to parties, and eat candy. The next day, when you wake up, you won’t be a princess, or a witch, or Miley Cyrus. You will still be you. And most likely, while in character, you didn’t suddenly become heir to a kingdom, gain magical powers, or kick-start a career in music. So why should you be judged for a mask?
I’ve always made my own Halloween costumes. One year, I wrapped myself in aluminum foil and Trick-or-Treated as “the ghost of a Hershey’s Kiss.” I like being creative and resourceful (while saving money for more important stuff, like a homecoming dress). I never wanted to wear a skin-tight, plasticy dress, fishnets, and bunny ears for a costume. But one year, I almost did. What stopped me was one word that my mom half-whispered: slut.
What she actually said was, the costume made me look like a slut. After seeing how devastated (or slut-shamed) I was, she sat me down and told me that the costume didn’t make me a slut. I didn’t understand the difference then, but now I know that she was (partially) correct. If using yards of household material, a cardboard box, or a full-length ball gown for a costume makes you happy and confident, then wear that. It is obvious, in these scenarios, that the costume can be disconnected from your personality. However, there is a long-standing stigma against “slutty” Halloween costumes.
But if dressing up as a “sexy” Godzilla, or Miley Cyrus, or a Victoria’s Secret model makes you feel genuinely content, then … what does that say about you? There is the point that society associates scanty clothing with the attributes of a slut: toying with a guy’s emotions, being unfaithful in relationships, and “sleeping around”. But the two ideas — the outer appearance and inner personality — need to be separated. Especially on a holiday where the point is to put on a façade that covers what is underneath. That façade could be completely unrelated to what it is covering (referencing a December holiday, the times parents put a gift card in a refrigerator-sized box).
On Halloween, you could put the real Miley Cyrus in a sweater, jeans, and glasses, call her a nerd, and that would not make her a better (or worse) person. You could also take yourself (insert personality traits here), dress in whatever costume makes you feel awesome, and it would not change those characteristics. So leave your house confident, and come back with loads of candy. Really, that’s all that matters.
