As Cady Heron from the classic movie Mean Girls said, “Halloween is the one night a year where a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” Not limiting ourselves to gender and the complete misogyny of that statement aside, if you were to approach the adult section in any Halloween store, you’d see every name usually begins along the lines of “sexy” and “naughty.” It seems as though you can make a sexy costume out of every animal, occupation, celebrity, and character. But the question is: why has Halloween become such a sexualized holiday? Is Halloween inherently this way, or have costumes had something to do with this ritual we love to do every year?

What we consider to be the modern version of “sexy” Halloween costumes didn’t arise until the 1970s, but Halloween has been a Celtic tradition since before the 8th century. People wore costumes from animal skins and believed gods were visible. By the 11th century, it turned into the Christian holiday All Saints’ Day. This continued into Canada and America by the 18th century with the influx of Scottish and Irish immigrants. It became very popular quickly, embracing the pagan and dark attributions. Over the centuries, Halloween became a holiday, rather than a religious tradition.

In the 1940s and ‘50s, Hollywood molded what we make of today’s modern costumes: to look glamorous and scary all in one. Before, witches were seen as old women with warts; now, they’ve become fresh-faced pin-up girls in front of a green screen.

A couple decades later came the sexual revolution. People of all backgrounds began taking control of their sexualities. This included the rise of openly queer people moving to cities and creating communities. This began the modern ways regular people embraced sexy costumes with gay Halloween parades and parties in the major cities like NYC and San Fransisco. Drag queens, in particular, participated in what was seen as “outrageous” events, embracing the idea of becoming an original character for a night. They changed the norms in many ways, embracing unfiltered sexuality and gender non-conforming flare.

By the ‘80s, horror movies solidified the popularity of a commercialized Halloween. By the 2000s, it was a certified party holiday filled with sexual undertones. Today, it’s clear sexy costumes will not be going away. It’s a billion-dollar industry and has become more than just a one-night-a-year use. Couples and singles use costumes/fetish wear for sexual purposes. Many people like the exploration aspect and the confidence it gives them, just like the confidence one feels on Halloween night. 

So, what is a sexy costume? Well, it’s a bit difficult to define because it’s different for every person. Your Magazine Style Director Julia Smith defines a sexy Halloween costume as “a lot of lace, hosiery, it doesn’t necessarily have to be revealing. For example, a maid’s costume is considered sexy but isn’t a very revealing outfit.”

Smith also notes there are gender-related stereotypes with sexy Halloween costumes. “Even when gay men do it, it’s considered feminine when gay men can be super masculine and sexy at the same time,” they say. “Items like leather and lace are considered feminine even though they are just attributes of clothing.”

Well, it’s important to note these “rules'' were created to keep an imposed gaze, particularly on women. Within Halloween party culture, there's an inherent rule known by everyone that the more you dress what’s considered “sexy,” the more you’ll be seen. Halloween, despite being about unseen spirits, is about seeing and being seen. Much of it is about being looked at, even if it’s enjoyable to receive that attention. There isn’t really another tradition like it in Western culture, a holiday dedicated to the idea of dressing up to be seen and even desired by others. Social media especially highlights this phenomenon, as posting your costume on Instagram is a way to show off a cooler, sexier, more clever costume to your peers and followers.

But the sentiment has pretty much stayed the same after all these years: Halloween is fun. It’s a creative outlet for those wanting to let go and be somebody else for one night. It gives a dangerous spark for those wanting to have fun. It’s important to remember that a “sexy” costume is a costume that you are comfortable and confident in—one that makes you feel not only sexy but empowered. It’s the one night you can become someone else yet be true to yourself.