Since when does dressing up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz involve flashing your underpants?
As an Australian living in the United States, attempting to embrace my cultural surroundings for the epic Halloween festivities – parades, parties and the like, I am rather appalled at the costume selection available for women.
It’s tough to find a dress-up option that doesn’t involve showing an inordinate amount of flesh whether it’s micro mini-skirts, midriffs or cleavage enhancing tops.
All that skin exposure seems a little unnecessary - not only is it chilly around Halloween, particularly on the East Coast, but it alludes to a completely different meaning of trick or treating.
A Pocahontas costume more suited to a stripper or a Tinkerbell outfit that wouldn’t look out of place on the set of a lad’s magazine are just some of the options available to purchase via Amazon or at a variety of pop-up stores.
Even the more gender neutral dress-up options such as M&Ms, Crayola Crayons or a Scrabble board involve body hugging Lycra with their packaging cover models encouraging push-up bras and platform high heels.
And think of the example these costumes are setting to little boys and girls that are on a 48 hour sugar high as they door knock around neighborhoods on the hunt for candy. How are parents suppose to answer to a five-year-old that asks: “Mommy, why does that Cinderella look so different from the book?”
Halloween has various meanings depending on who you ask, from its origin as the eve of All Saints Day or a festival of the dead. But the general purpose behind the dressing-up factor is to disguise and protect oneself from harmful spirits. This simply cannot be achieved when your costume resembles a swimsuit.
Purchasing from the men’s range appears to be the only option if you prefer to cover more than 20 per cent of your body. Masks and all-in-one suits offer plenty of coverage and warmth and are generally one size fits all.
It also appears high heels aren’t a prerequisite.
Happy Halloween from the all-in-one ‘Red Hot Lobster Pot’ men’s costume selection.
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