Slutty Halloween costumes are the norm for women between the ages of 16 and 25. College parties mandate girls in skimpy outfits to even be let in the door and while I believe a woman should wear what she wants and find empowerment in owning her body image, what is not ok about this tradition is the objectification of women. It’s a complicated issue and finding a balance between a costume that is affordable, cute, and comfortable is tricky. So this year, as my first year participating in Halloween in College, I had to think of a way to undermine this tradition by still wearing something fun and flirty while not quite fully participating in the objectifying culture.
What I observed last year was the cheapest option that was still cute was some combination of a crop top and accessories. This outfit is a ticket into any party and also completely buys into this patriarchal model that mandates women wear a costume to please men. So in my mind, to subvert the system, I needed to find a way to take back the crop top and make it my own.
The idea for this year’s costume came to me as I was perusing Forever 21, the one-stop-crop-top shop. There, lying in a heap of neon Cheetos paraphernalia, was a Cheez-it tube top. That tube top is the perfect intersection of a skimpy top, cheap clothing, and something that is not just sex appeal. The Cheez-it logo stretched over my boobs is anything other than sexy. To me, dressing up as a Cheez-it is just as dumb as dressing up as a cat and yet, despite the fact that my outfit will be the same shape as the default cat costume, mine says a different message: “I love Cheez-its.” It is funny and cute all while costing under $15. To complete the look I upcycled a small bag of Cheez-its into a bow and I’ll swipe on a red lip.
My last task in writing this blog post was to come up with some alternative ideas in case Cheez-its aren’t your favorite snack.
1. Other Food: Forever 21 has a whole slew of tops with various company logos on it from Mountain Dew to Pepsi. If you are looking for a last-minute idea, I would drive directly to your nearest Forever 21. Imagine the Pepsi top with some cute cherry earrings and a bottle of cherry Pepsi. You could still land that Hallo-ween 😉 without completely objectifying yourself!
2. Kim Possible: KP’s high school aesthetic makes her an easy crop top costume without oversexualizing yourself. A black crop top and olive green pants might already be in your closet! Black gloves and an orange wig would be a bonus. Kim is an icon and her pure mission to save the world undermines anything that the skimpy outfit might say otherwise.
3. AOC: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a force to be reconned with in the U.S. House of representatives. AOC does not have a super consistent look but I think a crop top under a blazer would work. Combined with hair swept into a low bun, red lipstick, hoops, and a DIY AOC button, I think this can still qualify as a crop top costume. Bonus points if you have a white blazer ensemble!
Good luck out there girlies! And to the men who have created the weird patriarchial party culture, enjoy our snack food/ feminist crop top costumes, but they are not for you.
-A
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