To wear or not to wear: Adult halloween costumes

Double, double, toil and trouble, fire burn and … a sexy witch costume?

Now that we’re in the spooky month, we can expect to  see a slew of Halloween decorations filling the shelves and selling out just as quickly. Of these items, adult costumes are at the top, meaning more adults are getting in on the festivities.

Adults are into Halloween, and the numbers don’t lie; according to an article by TIME magazine, national spending on Halloween has grown from $5 billion to approximately $8.4 billion in the last decade. On costumes alone, nearly half of the nation’s adults dress up for the holiday, and on average spend 42 percent more on costumes than their kid counterparts. This is good news for corporate America, but an underlying question still remains: should adults be dressing up in the first place?

In order to make a verdict, I think it’s necessary to look at some of the reasons behind adults dressing up. 

For some, it’s their one night a year to showcase their creativity and take a vacation from the day-to-day slog, giving over the reins to the Id (that fun-loving side of consciousness that says you should definitely eat cake for supper) rather than the Ego (the reasonable side that says roast beef and potatoes would be a much better choice). For others, it’s a social event; there’s Halloween parties galore, and a staple to a good Halloween party (besides some killer hors d’oeuvres) is costumes.

When it comes down to it, it’s about fun. People want to have fun, and parties and costumes are fun. Still, in the face of this, there are some who make it a case for maturity, claiming those that dress up are exhibiting Peter Pan Syndrome and refusing to grow up. 

Personally, I think calling every person who dresses up “childish” is a bit of a stretch. If a 25-year-old is dressing up as the Incredible Hulk and going door-to-door with kids half their age, I can understand. But if someone is dressing up for the sake of the holiday and hosting or attending a Halloween party (especially one of the 21-and-over variety), then give me a break.

People are going to do what they want, and no amount of naysaying is going to get it the way of adults dressing up for Halloween. It’s a fun holiday for all, and if someone wants to criticize you for going as a “Walking Dead” character to your local bar’s Halloween party, they can remove the broomstick from you-know-where and leave it at that.

Want to dress up as your favorite TV show character or even the cliché vampire? Go ahead, it’s your prerogative. The party poopers can save their comments for another day, and you can enjoy your break from the mundane.