The Halloween Special: The Scary/Sexy Conundrum

I decided to call this blog post "The Halloween Special" to give it that air of ambiguity that stems from this term. As a frequently used term, it is associated with that "special" time of year where we all dress up in frightening (or sexually frightening) costumes that inspire outrageous behaviour. In light of my most recent post on the "weird", Halloween happens to be quite a propos because it is the only time of year when we are encouraged to wear something we wouldn't be caught dead in on a regular day. Whether a witch costume, a life-size milk carton, or a minion (the most popular choice last year), we are encouraged to be someone we're not.

Throughout the year, the way we dress is a reflection of ourselves and how we'd like others to perceive us. On Halloween, we want to hide that self and inspire intrigue in the average masked figure. We want people to look at us and to inspire wonder and perhaps, fear, in that person.

As a widely commercialized holiday, Halloween has become all about the costume.

Where do you buy it?
What do you wear?
How do you find an original idea?
Should you be sexy or scary?

via Pinterest

When pondering Halloween, we don't just select a costume out of the blue. Some of us do. But others put a month's worth of thought into their choice. For something that is not meant to reflect the self, an abundance of energy is being put into this look. Is it possible that our Halloween costume is yet another extension of our inner selves? Is Halloween an excuse to become a person we secretly desire to be? For those in zombie costumes, this is probably not the case. But why are there so many articles offering tips on what to wear on Halloween? Yes, we seek variety because it is a difficult choice, but how do we come to make that choice? 

It all comes down to a simple game of Would You Rather. When faced with two decisions, we mentally process the consequences of both and make a selection. For the sake of this game, we're often faced with two terrible choices, but when it comes to Halloween, it's more about which one fits with the kind of person we want to be that day. Do I want to be THAT girl wearing bunny ears on Halloween or will others perceive me as unoriginal, boring, and conventional. Perhaps if I choose to be scary, I might be perceived as bold, daring, and confident. Or maybe I'm over-thinking it.

Ponder It,

Oh, and Happy Halloween.

XOXO,

Bella