Dress creatively

This weekend at Boston College marked the kick-off of Halloweek, and with it the launch of a thousand scantily clad fill-in-the-blanks running around campus, the Mods, and Cleveland Circle. Nothing against provocative Halloween costumes, I get it, I’ve done it. I’m not going to go off on some feminist rant, but last night I saw a girl dressed as a trashy cow and it was pretty much the tipping point for me. Growing up with what I’ll refer to as the “Mean Girls Generation,” I understand Cady Heron’s adage about Halloween “being the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it,” but I’m not sure I completely agree with it. Let’s be honest here—girls dress trashy regardless of it being Halloween or not, and other girls don’t really say much about it. I want to know why more girls don’t use Halloween as an excuse to dress up like crazy people because it’s the only night of the year when no one can say anything about it, right? Frankly, I don’t understand why more people in general don’t use Halloween as an excuse to get creative and run around dressed like kooks, and that means you too boys, you’re not off the hook either. Store-bought costumes that, ahem, frame certain male-specific body parts to look like animals, food, magic lamps, or what have you, are just as much of a cop-out as my going out in a shiny latex sailor “dress” and stripper heels.

 

Neither is very original or breathable, if you ask me, and what would your mothers think? 

We’re in college—there will never be a time again in our lives where it is acceptable to make homemade costumes of cereal box characters out of leftover folders and decorative spider-web ripped from the ceiling of a dorm room. Who has the money for those expensive pre-packaged revealing Halloween costumes in one-size-fits-all-but-only-if-you-are-built-like-Joan-Holloway-from-Mad Men anyway? I sure don’t, and there are so many awesome creative costumes that don’t require a lot to put together. Some of my favorites from this weekend included (but are not limited to), the cast of Bridesmaids, Sophia Grace and Rosie, characters from Boardwalk Empire, Gandalf, Foxy Cleopatra, Hungry Hungry Hippos, The Most Interesting Man in the World, and Frida Kahlo, all made from bizarre American Apparel and Goodwill cast-offs, paired with cheap craft store accessories. It doesn’t take a lot.

 

The more original and obscure, the better. If someone has to ask what you are, you should consider it a compliment, not to mention a great conversation starter. Explaining to a few, who somehow made it to college without reading or seeing A Clockwork Orange, that you are dressed as a character from the movie, is made all the more worthwhile when you run into someone who immediately gets it and appreciates your creativity. Halloween is just more fun when people have fun with it. I’d hardly consider coming up with something funny to wear out on one weekend of the semester a chore when the rest of the school year is spent coming up with thesis topics and discussion points, working out painful group projects, and studying for lengthy exams. I can’t imagine that anyone would argue that figuring out Halloween is more difficult than that, but somehow there’s always that one person. “I don’t have time,” some insist. “Get a Pinterest, go on Google, and spend five minutes less on Facebook,” I counter. “I can’t think of anything good,” they whine. “Talk to your friends, think about your favorite movies or books growing up, and pick the most bizarre character you can remember, then recreate it.” “I hate Halloween,” they say, “I hate class, but I still manage to go and enjoy myself once in a while because it’s a part of life,” and lastly my all time favorite: “Halloween is boring and stupid anyways.” To which I counter, “Only boring and stupid people find ways to make things boring and stupid.” Your resources are unlimited, the world is at your fingertips, and Halloween only comes once a year. I propose that everyone try to get a little more creative this Halloween because who enjoys those cliched pre-packaged costumes anyways? And boys, don’t worry, we’ll all be back in our mini-skirts next Friday, rest assured.