If Halloween is supposed to be a time for dressing up, why does it seem that girls barely wear any clothes?

This is not a matter of slut-shaming. This is a matter of addressing the pressure that society has placed upon girls to dress a certain way. What may have once been a mere excuse to dress provocatively has now become the norm — and that’s scary. I mean, you can just forget about ghosts and vampires altogether.

There’s no saying that girls don’t have a choice in what they wear as costumes; obviously there is no obligatory dress code. In fact, it seems that the majority of us actually enjoy throwing on a scandalous get-up and getting ready for a night out. There’s absolutely no harm in feeling cute and confident in whatever you choose to dress up in. However, why is it that most girls have this inherent tendency to throw modesty out the door when considering their costumes without even a second-guess? Why do descriptions like “slutty” suddenly lose their negative connotations and instead gain praise and acceptance on this particular occasion?

There is no denying that there are extremely prevalent expectations that come along with a girl’s typical Halloween costume. Uniqueness and creativity may score some points, but it’s the skin that turns heads. Nowadays, someone would stand out like a sore thumb if she were actually covered up, that’s why costumes such as a “slutty nun” exist (yes, that’s a real thing).

One may beg the question, “Who are girls dressing for in these circumstances anyway?” The answer could be no one. Simple as that. Yet again, dressing up for ourselves is a way to boost self-confidence; there’s not always a desire to impress others with our appearance. Putting our bodies on display just for attention is demeaning and, frankly, unfulfilling. So while this may not be our intent, we are nonetheless subjectively committing to putting our bodies on display because that’s just what is deemed normal.

What ever happened to the innocence of getting to dress up as your favorite Disney princess for the day, the elation that came from such a simple transformation? What ever happened to feeling beautiful because you actually felt like a princess, not because you drew in a flood of compliments on your half-naked Instagram picture?

There was a shift between our childhood and now that changed our perspective on the extent and purpose of dressing up for this holiday. Somewhere along the way, we grew into the exposure of our society that has manipulated our views and desires to conform to a pre-conceived standard.

Unfortunately, wearing less is no longer just acceptable; it is anticipated. It’s unimaginable what sort of effect this ideal has on a society that already struggles with gender equality and body-shaming. Condemning revealing outfits is not the intent, nor a solution, but instead it is important to acknowledge the twisted reality of these social norms.

So whatever you choose to be for Halloween, wear a costume that makes you feel comfortable in your own skin. Just remember that, despite what our culture ensues, whether you show that skin or not is entirely up to you.