Molly Christianson, Contributing Writer
Corsets are ruining Halloween costumes.
There, I finally said it. I hate costumes that are just corsets with tiny skirts and stupid headbands. If I just described your costume, I am sure you look cute — however, it is a horrible Halloween costume.
Cady Heron from “Mean Girls” famously said, “Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress up… and no other girls can say anything about it.” I, however, have some things to say about it.
First off, the costumes being referenced were barely costumes. Regina had on bunny ears, fuzzy wrist cuffs, a white corset and black shorts. Karen, while not in a corset, relied solely on a headband to make her grey dress into a mouse “costume.”
Cady, on the other hand, went all out with the zombie bride theme. From what I’ve seen, most college students seem to lean towards the Regina and Karen end of the Halloween costume spectrum, rather than Cady’s.
It’s fine if you don’t want to be a scary zombie bride on Halloween, but at least dress as something out of the ordinary.
Don’t think that I am letting the guy’s costumes slide either. At least with girls, there is a headband, a corset — something. I have seen some students dress in black t-shirts with black jeans and say they are “Venom.” Men being so incredibly nonchalant when it comes to Halloween is not in the slightest bit cool — it’s just pathetic.
Generally speaking, college students’ costumes suck. Where is the creativity? Where is the innovation? Where is the — hopefully — fake blood?
If I have to ask what you are, and you say, “I’m a mouse, duh,” I think I may just scream. In fact, dress up as someone from “Scream” — that would be better than falling for the corset-mania that seems to have taken over Halloween.
There are so many cooler, cheaper and simply better costume pieces than corsets and poor-quality headbands.
I think we want our costumes to be liked out of a fear of being made fun of. A lot of who we are comes from how we are perceived. Do others think we are pretty? Do we seem smart, kind or silly?
Even if you don’t post your outfit yourself, you’re probably photobombing a post somewhere on the internet, and that is kind of nerve-wracking. So why not be comfortable in a (hopefully fake) bloody costume? Why choose to be uncomfortable, cold and unable to breathe for the sake of a current beauty standard?
You don’t need to go out and buy a zombie bride dress to have a good costume. You just need some time, blood and a sprinkle of creativity to create a unique look. Using pieces from your closet isn’t inherently a bad thing — just don’t be lazy about it. In fact, it is better for you and the environment if you don’t buy something for one-time use. DIY Halloween costumes are some of the most compelling and eye-catching — all it takes is a little effort to make something truly extraordinary.
This Halloween, please break free from the basic corset craze. Be creative and have fun with pieces you already own. Make something unique and — dare I say — quirky. If you don’t feel slightly stupid on Halloween, you probably are not doing it right.