Why dressing up on October 31st brings out the risqué and downright ridiculous

RACHEL SCAPILLATI

Are you someone who spends the latter part of the summer fantasizing about the perfect Halloween costume? Do you wonder what your friends’ faces will look like when they see you prance in dressed as the latest popular superhero or as a sexy nurse? What about those of you who elect to dress up as something created entirely from your imagination?

For those of you who answered “yes” to the last part, you are not alone.
Missy Morrow, manager of Party Corner Costumes in Guelph, sees it all, from customers demanding the traditional nurse uniform, or variations of superheroes, to specialty requests which range from pirate wenches to giant bananas.
“We adore working with people who want to be different and try a new approach to a costume,” said Morrow. “We enjoy what we call here ‘big idea’ costumes. We had a customer who wanted to be a pirate wench for Halloween, but a pirate wench meets Marie Antoinette. It looked really good. It had the big hoop underneath the skirt and it was huge. It just looked great.”
Kerri Mercer, the seamstress for Party Corner Costumes, notes a move for female customers from the popular risqué costumes to the more inventive creations.
“We’re finding a lot of girls this year don’t want the traditional nurse costume and are looking for something that is non-sexy. They are looking for more of a specialty costume,” said Mercer.
Jenna Lehman, a student of the Bachelor of Arts History Program at the University of Guelph, agrees with Mercer’s school of thought.
“I will most likely be a zombie or something dead with my friend who is taking Prosthetics at Sheridan College. She can do stage makeup and it looks totally realistic,” said Lehman. “I almost refuse to dress slutty for Halloween. I think the whole lingerie-as-a-costume novelty is completely overplayed and kind of desperate.”

From Morrow’s experience managing a costume store, the sexual appeal of dressing in more revealing costumes plays a role in their popularity.

“It’s definitely a time for some people to express their sexuality,” she said. “They might not be comfortable doing this in day-to-day life, but Halloween is a time for them to do this without being labeled anything. I’ve seen girls walking around on Halloween night in a bra and panties, and calling that a costume. They’re pretty much wearing just lingerie.”
On the flip side, Morrow observes men choosing costumes depicting a favourite superhero, or selecting attire leaning on the comedic side.
“They’re all over the place, really,” said Rebecca McDermid, a sales representative of Party Corner Costumes. “You will see a lot of guys wanting funny costumes. Like a giant banana or something over the top.”
When it comes to selecting a costume for Lehman however, she believes in an original approach.
“I do believe in a more creative process for Halloween costumes, but I know it’s also just the easier route to use the traditional costumes,” said Lehman. “I think if people put some thought into costumes, you can definitely tell. However, there’s a point where people need to realize that Halloween doesn’t really matter. Personally, I wouldn’t spend the month of October figuring out what I want to be for Halloween.”

Whether you spend the entire month figuring out a costume or just a few days, it seems the lure of Halloween and the disguises it creates attract all.
“It’s a chance to step outside yourself and be adventurous,” Morrow said.
Lehman agrees, stating, “I think the lure also lies in the fact that people like being who they’re not. In a way it’s captivating for people, but I think our generation has almost ruined the idea of Halloween as a fun night to ‘dress up’. It’s more of a night to ‘undress.’”

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