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Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Features Halloween costumes don't always have to be sexy/slutty
Posted By Kimberly Lawson on Wed, Oct 21, 2009 at 3:01 PM
As I was checking out the selection of Halloween costumes in a local store recently, I came across one that caused a puzzled wrinkle in my brow: a sexy valet (such as the one on this site). Seriously? Who wants to go out for Halloween dressed as a person who parks cars? Where's the fun and creativity in that?
Truth is, there is none. The key word in that costume description is "sexy." It seems the appeal in Halloween nowadays for women (and perhaps due to the expectations of men) is that it's our one night a year to hike up our skirts to where the sun shouldn't shine, pretend our fish-net stockings are doing a bit of good protecting us from the cold, and tantalize the male masses with a chaos of cleavage — all with the confidence that we won't be judged.
A recent article on BostonHerald.com talks about this: "A quick glance at the latest Halloween garb reveals that almost every imaginable profession is being fetishized. It’s like an erotic game of Mad Libs. You can’t just show up to a costume party as a cop. You have to be a sexy cop. You can’t be nurse. You have to be a naughty nurse. Want to be an insurance claims adjuster? Sorry, you gotta be an exotic insurance claims adjuster."
Whatever happened to the creativity that goes into picking out Halloween costumes?
Malina Boone wonders the same thing. Boone runs the 30-something-year-old shop Magic Maze, located in Dilworth, in which you can rent costumes, anything from Renaissance outfits to vintage '60s and '70s garb.
I asked Boone to pull some of her favorite and/or most popular pieces, and this is what she had to show. Note that the women's costumes shown are sexy but classy, and because these are all one-of-a-kind outfits, you're not likely to run into someone Uptown sporting the exact same look.
The 1920s flapper outfit. Adds a flair of sexiness without having all your girly goodies falling out.
A strapless saloon girl costume. Remember Mae West from Gunsmoke?
The king's royal clothing, for men.
And my favorite, the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz.
As you can see, Halloween costumes don't all have to be slutty. Unless you have a kinky costume fetish, this will probably be the only night of the year you go all out in costume. And since the pictures you take will live on your Facebook forever, why not try putting together an outfit that's about more than just boobs and butt?
But ... if the "barely there" look is what you're going for and there's no changing your mind, Magic Maze does have a selection for you to choose from. All costume prices range from $20 to $80, and the shop's open every day, Monday through Saturday, 11 am.-8 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Costumes must be returned by Nov. 15.
Magic Maze
325 East Blvd.
704-358-8791
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