Friday, October 31, 2014

'Slutty' Halloween is Everywhere....but Here!


 The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon listed Top 5 Halloween Costumes this Year!

Last night we held our bi-monthly style training with a group of fellow ASU students.  
The subject of “Slutty Halloween” came up. It seems as though the term, "Slutty Costume" seems to be everywhere this Halloween.  We wanted to share with you some of that conversation. 

Several of the young women present said it was their first year as an ASU student and they felt like many young women look to others to answer the question: How do you do Halloween at ASU as a college student?  One first year student expressed what she felt some young women must be feeling. - "The reason most girls dress that way is because it's your first year. You don't want to be the outcast. You just do what others do, so you fit in"


Some of the older students gave their advice to their fellow classmates. Here are some of their suggestions:

  • "I don't think Halloween should be an excuse to show more than you normally would."
  • "You tell the world how to treat you by how to dress. Should that change on Halloween? Probably not" 
  • "It's a dangerous situation you're putting yourself in... Especially think about the influence of alcohol or other substances on a weekend like this."
  • "I have cousins that are 13 years old buying these costumes because there's nothing else TO buy. Guys do look at girls, and to me it bothers me because guys are looking at my younger cousins"
  • "I wouldn't change my level of comfort for one night to have fun"

What do you think of that?


My favorite question of the conversation was,
"When did the slutty costume start being a thing??" Well, we looked into it and read this article by Suzanne Labarre. Here are some of excerpts. 


 Slutty Halloween Costumes:  A Cultural History

.....What’s different now, of course, is that the permissive sexuality of the 1970s has been normalized--co-opted by mainstream culture--and packaged in flimsy plastic wrap for average (largely female) consumers. Nancy Deihl speculates that today’s sexy costumes can be traced, in part, to the general immodesty of contemporary women’s clothing, a trend that got underway in the 1920s and hasn’t stopped since, not even to straighten a micro-mini. As mass media became more frankly sexual, so too did Halloween costumes.....

....For retailers, it’s a gold mine. HalloweenMart.com, a major online retailer, has said that sexy costumes count among its top sellers. In Bloomington, Indiana, Campus Costumes has had to ratchet up its order of barely there costumes every year since the store opened. Last fall, Victoria’s Secret started offering Halloween costumes that are virtually indistinguishable from the company’s lingerie. Frederick’s of Hollywood, Victoria’s Secret’s sleazy sister, has been pushing sexy Halloween costumes for years and has said that Halloween is its third-largest season after Valentine’s Day and Christmas....
.....It’s big business now, and as those in the $6.8 billion American Halloween industry will tell you, money is always sexy. Not surprisingly, a sexy-money costume can be yours for $32.99.
You can read the entire article here: SUZANNE LABARRE
Some of our friends have had a different approach to Halloween and the costume parties they attend. So, no, not everyone chooses the "Slutty" costumes.... some of the BEST are simply being creative and funny...!! 
                                          Have a safe and happy weekend!!        
The Barden Bellas
Bon Qui Qui
Pigs in a Blanket
Smurfs
Disney characters

Wilma & Betty
Caesar and Grapes
Hermione Granger
The ASU Women's Basketball Coaches as Marvel Super Heros!!!


1 comment:

  1. I love how this article is giving women the courage to go against popular culture when choosing their Halloween costumes. Although, it does seem that the only Halloween costumes for women are sexy versions of everything ranging from a superhero like wonder woman to even a slice of pizza no one should have to wear a costume they feel uncomfortable in, whether it is because it seems like the only thing available or because it is just what everyone else does. It just means sometimes you have to get creative with your costume like the examples in this article. There was one point in the article that bothered me though. It is the third point of advice the older students gave their fellow students. "It's a dangerous situation you're putting yourself in... Especially think about the influence of alcohol or other substances on a weekend like this." This suggests that if women wear a less revealing costumes they will be less likely to be sexually assaulted, which simply isn't true. This is the logic behind victim blaming. I do acknowledge that this is a quote from an unnamed student, which is their opinion to have, but by publishing their quote it represents what this organization, which I admire, believes. A woman is never to blame for being sexually assaulted regardless of what she is wearing. I hope that this organization believes that as well.

    ReplyDelete