Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. There has yet to be a year where I haven't dressed up--I'm counting even my most feeble attempt of a costume: a Captain America onesie to match my dog's Captain America suit. I can pretty accurately predict the top costumes of this year: Eleven, Harley Quinn, Pablo Escobar, Hillary/Trump, Harambe. And, invariably, the failsafe, DIY-or-Dollar-Store, laziest costume of all costumes: the sexy cat. In fact, relying on sexy anything costumes is generally a safe bet, because any costume you could possibly imagine has a sexy counterpart somewhere out there.
I've had my fair share of sexy costumes, including this year's addition of the poster child of sexy costumes: the Playboy bunny. I convinced my boyfriend to team up with me as Hugh Hefner, confident that having the counterpart by my side would somehow lessen the blow of dressing up as something that a good number of people would judge me for. I wanted to love my costume and be 100% confident in my ability to rock it, but I was too worried about strangers looking down on me for showing a little skin. Mostly, I was afraid that my costume would give me an image that I normally wouldn't want to project. I was afraid that even the people close to me would be disappointed in me for choosing a costume that is so focused on men exploiting women's sex appeal.
Criticism of sexy costumes has always been plentiful, especially those that are culturally offensive. And I understand the backlash when it comes to dressing up as a sexy Native American; it's a culture that has been oppressed for centuries yet applauded when non-Natives appropriate it for their own enjoyment. But dressing up as a Playboy bunny made me feel sexy and confident. These costumes shouldn't be worn in an attempt to get attention from shallow guys. They should be worn because they make you feel happy and comfortable in your own skin. They should show off a body that does so many incredible things to keep you alive every day. I felt incredible in my more covered up version of a bunny costume, and I'm sure the girl at the party in a bodysuit and stilettos felt just as good showing off even more skin.
The point is that as long as your costume isn't mocking someone's culture (or nuns/priests), you should be able to dress as anything you want. Halloween is the one time of the year when you can become someone completely different for a night. Way too many people take themselves too seriously, and it feels so good to be able to let go of all your insecurities. So if you feel good in it, wear it, because nothing looks better than confidence and self-love.
