A practical solution to skimpy Halloween costumes

A devil Halloween costume viewed from behind because the front was too graphic to show. I’m serious. (Photo by Getty Images)

Every year, people of all ages look forward to wreaking havoc on Oct. 31! Pounds of chocolate bars and carving spooky designs into pumpkins mean nothing if you don’t obtain the perfect costume. Whether it be a crazy party, a date, or a night spent trick-or-treating, choosing a costume as a woman these days seems to be fairly difficult.

Halloween apparel at local costume stores is not only ridiculously over-priced but when it comes to female attire, there actually isn’t much attire. Every year women squeeze into the same overly provocative animals or various occupation outfits that bare way too much cleavage and convey a lack of self respect.

There’s even a tab on Party City’s website with skimpy costumes titled “Body Shapers,” which is a segment dedicated to smushing all our women parts into tight spaces. Happy Halloween, right?

My point is, the garments are little more then lingerie and yet seem to cost about three times as much as a decent brand of underwear, yet they both seem to cover the same amount of skin!

With lots of research, I’ve discovered the answer to all our prayers. Call it divine guidance because the heavenly Father probably isn’t too ecstatic about that angel costume with the missing breast cups. The answer? Pinterest. 

Pinterest is known for do-it-yourself recipes and cheap but effective ideas to please any homemaker. Recently, I discovered it’s also useful for the most creative yet still appropriate costume ideas for women, girls, and even men of all ages.

Pinterest shares ideas and links them to the original source. After looking up DIY costumes, I viewed a super cute and yet conservative scarecrow costume, which linked me to, drumroll please, a site that had a giant slide show of last minute costumes!

The costumes are easy, appropriate and inexpensive! One costume, “static cling,” involves any outfit of your choosing with socks and under garments attached to it! Another involves tons of purple balloons attached to warm clothing and ta-da, you’re a grape vine! Now, who else is going to look that cute and manage to stand out of the crowd without having their assets on  display? You will!

Take a look at the costume ideas and remember to stay safe and comfortable this Halloween!

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Simple. And ethical

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Emma Bowen ’01 runs a lingerie company yet wants customers to buy fewer pieces of lingerie.

Why would someone whose online lingerie company, Najla, which specializes in “natural materials with expert artisanship,” ask women to purchase fewer pieces of lingerie?

“Collecting a small number of classic, beautiful and high-quality undergarments that can transition from day to night is, in and of itself, an ethical and sustainable practice,” Bowen said.

Bowen believes in the “slow fashion” movement. This is not the typical fashion trend that goes out of style with each yearly incarnation of Milan, Paris and New York City fashion weeks. It’s a movement that runs counter to the current model of quickly pushing garments from the factory floor to the retail floor with low prices that encourage consumers to buy, buy, buy. Over-consume.

“The slow fashion movement encourages consumers to be more thoughtful about how they consume fashion for the benefit of humankind and the environment,” said Bowen.

Bowen launched Najla in 2014. “Najla,” a female Arabic name which translates to “wide-eyed,” was also the name of her great-great-aunt, who opened an eponymous lingerie shop in Brooklyn in 1920, where she designed and sewed custom undergarments using locally manufactured silks. Najla was eventually joined in the business by her niece Selma, who ran the business after Najla retired. Selma closed the shop—then located in Manhattan and also selling outerwear—in the 1980s.

Bowen knew both women and would visit them on childhood trips from her home in Coventry, Connecticut, soaking up their stories of the shop. In particular, she recalls Selma as vivacious, independent, stylish and a savvy businesswoman.

“I also have an entrepreneurial spirit, so her energy resonated with me,” Bowen said. “So, too, did her stories about running Najla. I had thought about resurrecting it as a brand of lingerie earlier, even in my early 20s, but I didn’t feel equipped to do so at that time.”

Bowen’s incarnation of Najla recalls the early years of the family-run boutique. Bowen promises that each undergarment is made with careful attention to detail in New York City, and she supports local manufacturers and uses sustainable materials.

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