Life

#ReclaimHalloween With Feminist Costume Ideas

by Emma Cueto

It's no secret that there's a big double standard when it comes to sexy Halloween costumes, and the fact that a holiday supposedly about children and dead people has now been turned into an excuse to objectify women kind of sucks. But now, the organization So She Did is launching a campaign to Reclaim Halloween.

"Reclaiming Halloween is all about redefining our sources of confidence and self-esteem," the organization explains. "Halloween is notoriously a holiday where women are viewed as objects and marketed 'sexy xyz' costumes. We want to #ReclaimHalloween, and celebrate our version of sexy."

And to further that goal they have a whole bunch of costume ideas that don't involve being a sexy mouse or a sexy maid or a sexy ladybug (cause really, sexy ladybug?). Because even though women who want to be sexy on Halloween — or any other day of the year — should feel perfectly free to do so, the assumption that every girl should be showing skin has gotten out of control. Just scan the shelves of your local Halloween costume shop and it becomes pretty clear pretty fast that it's way easier to find offensive and appropriative costumes than it is to find something that isn't over the top sexy. And that is pretty messed up.

So if you, like me, are still on the look out for last-minute costume ideas, the #ReclaimHalloween campaign has you covered with non-sexy-fied costumes depicting some inspiring, confident women who are also great on the other 364 days of the year (unlike, say, sexy lady bugs). From Beyoncé to Diana Nyad to the classic Rosie the Riveter, these ideas are things you can probably put together on your own, and as an added bonus might actually keep you warm.

Check out how cool some of these look!

Here we have Coco Chanel with some Rosie the Riveter girls.

Katniss Everdeen is instantly recognizable, and as an added bonus comes with a built in jacket for chilly October evenings.

Here's Serena Williams, Ellen DeGeneres, Amelia Erhardt, and Frida Kahlo, all hanging out. And now I really want to watch that episode of Ellen.

On the left you'll find Rosalind Franklin, the woman who discovered the double helix, and on the right is singing sensation Stevie Nicks.

And lets be real, you can never have too many Rosie the Riveters.

You can also check out some of Bustle's feminist costume ideas, and our tips on putting something together last minute. Because there can be so much more to Halloween than dressing up as a sexy kitten.

Happy Halloween, everybody!

Images: So She Did