When I was younger, my parents dressed me in several Halloween costumes that would be questionable to the public today. Although those Halloween costumes were the “fad” back in my day, they are definitely not the “fad” today. In fact, some of them could actually be considered offensive.
1. Native American: There’s no doubt in my mind, I was an adorable Native American, baby for my first Halloween. My family often called me Pocahontas when I was younger as I was the only family member other than my grandpa who had brown eyes, and my grandpa has Native American blood! This was not disrespectful at all, but it was more a tribute to my heritage. However, if family heritage is not the reason, this could be very disrespectful to Native Americans.
2. Clown: In my childhood years, a clown was a perfectly acceptable Halloween costume for a child. However, today, dressing your child as a clown may not be such a good idea due to all of the controversy about clowns. Perhaps in the future, the clown business will blow over, and clown costumes will be appropriate for Halloween again.
3. Barbie Cheerleader: When I was in about kindergarten or first grade, Barbies were extremely popular. In fact, several girls at my school were Barbie cheerleaders in the same year. After Barbies, Bratz became popular, and the next year, girls were begging for another new kind of doll. Today, dressing your daughter up as a Monster High doll might be more appropriate than a Barbie.
4. Witch: Past, present, or future, the witch will always be a popular Halloween costume for people of all ages. However, all witch costumes look very different. The witch costume I wore when I was little probably isn’t the same style of the witch costumes children wear today. On a side note, my parents decided to reuse the Native American costume on my sister. Apparently it was still acceptable three years later.
5. Cinderella: I grew up in during the time where "Cinderella" and "Cinderella 2" were popular movies. Today, "Cinderella" might not be the most popular princess to dress like for Halloween. Perhaps dressing like Elsa from "Frozen" would be more appropriate for today’s generation.
6. Tiger: Animals have been and will always be a safe bet for Halloween costumes. Tigers, dogs, cat, and puppies can all make great Halloween costumes. In fact, I believe that even the next generation will wear animal costumes for Halloween.
7: Minnie Mouse: From the old to the young, Minnie Mouse is quite popular. Until recently, I thought Minnie had faded out with my generation; however, my little cousin absolutely loves Minnie. Because of this, I think Minnie will forever be a recurring Halloween costume.
8. Rock Star: Coming from a farming family, I can’t quite figure out why my sister and I were both rock stars for Halloween. After all, we only ever listen to country music. Belly shirts and all, we sported these costumes like we were actual rock stars. Nowadays, belly shirts might not be popular Halloween costumes for children, but rock stars definitely could be, especially with the merge of Taylor Swift.
9. Britney Spears: “Oops!…I Did It Again” was a popular song playing on my hip clip back in the day. However, today’s elementary-aged students probably don’t know who Britney Spears is, thank goodness. Britney took a turn for the worse after this Halloween costume became popular, so I definitely don’t think today’s kids would be begging to be Britney for Halloween, nor do I think parents would allow it.
10. Strawberry Shortcake: Who they heck is Strawberry Shortcake? I honestly can’t answer this question, and I honestly can’t figure out why my younger sister was Strawberry Shortcake for Halloween. The look on her face gives me a feeling it was my mom’s idea. Nevertheless, I don’t think any child today will be choosing Strawberry Shortcake for Halloween unless it is based on parent influence.
11. Miss Congeniality: I absolutely loved the Miss Congeniality movies during this stage of my life. Here’s a tip for parents: reuse bridesmaids’ dresses for Halloween costumes for your kids. They’ll be great for costumes such as Miss Congeniality or maybe even princesses. Since "Toddlers & Tiaras" is such a popular show, children in this generation might actually dress like pageant winners; however, they probably won’t be Miss Congeniality.
It’s evident that my parents chose some costumes for me that probably wouldn’t be appropriate now; however, all laughing aside, these costumes were totally acceptable back in the day. Times have changed, but my memories of these costumes will last forever. You never know, I might choose to repeat some of them with my children. Mom, Aunt Mary, and Grandma, please keep these!
