According to the gospel of Mean Girls, "Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it." The same should be true when considering plus size Halloween costumes and the fabulous fats of the world sporting them.
If you're a woman or feminine person who loves the feeling of slipping into something sexy and demonstrating total autonomy towards your body along the way, then you've likely encountered the shaming rhetoric and assumptions that accompany thigh slits and revealing tops. Although it'd be pretty fabulous if we could rock a sexy ensemble of our choosing without the antiquated BS, things just aren't there yet. In turn, All Hallow's Eve offers one of the few opportunities to flaunt our bodies in ways that empower us without the usual levels of judgment.
When it comes to plus size individuals with a penchant for dressing sexy on Halloween, however, there's arguably more to consider than the standard sexism inflicted upon mini skirt-wearers. Since many plus size people are regularly desexualized and told that their bodies are unworthy of garments that actually show them off, there's the added potential for serious fat shaming when baggy ghost sheets are exchanged for Harley Quinn booty shorts.
The truth is, plus size bodies are actually pretty rad. So if you want to celebrate the sexiness that is your form, rest assured that your body will look and feel amazing in that Halloween costume. Here are some reasons why.
1. Your VBO Will Look Precious AF
Let's get something straight: Visible belly outlines are equal parts adorable and sexy. Like, there is an actual part of your body that is not only soft and squashy, but also bold and fierce. Why shouldn't you put something slinky on yours?
Sure, fatness of any kind is usually stigmatized. As a result, it might feel vulnerable and scary to show off a part of your body housing visible pudge. But chances are that your VBO will only make your costume look all the more special and unique. And as a result, you'll hopefully feel as special and unique as you legitimately are.
2. You'll Prove That Your Thighs Touch Because They Love Each Other
If you're worried about rocking a revealing or otherwise sexy costume because you just know your thighs will be touching all night, consider this: Maybe they touch because they love each other.
It might sound a little silly, but that's because your lack of a thigh gap is actually pretty inconsequential. It holds no bearing on how rad your costume is going to look on your body. In fact, it might even be a small detail separating your incarnation of Lil' Kim from the three other Lil' Kim's at the bar.
3. Reclamations Of Sexuality Are Always A Hot Sight
A lot of folks who feel othered in their bodies for reasons like size are repeatedly conditioned to believe that sex is not for them. Nor is the feeling of sexiness. They are told that not until they conform to regimented standards of beauty will they be allowed to participate in such celebrations of their bodies. Because, who would find them sexy anyway?
This is a complete lie. Sexuality — whether than means the act of having sex with other people, with yourself, owning your body's capacity for sex, or just feeling like a sensual, vibrant human in a gold bodycon dress with a tail attached to the bottom — is for whomever wants it. When you rock the hell out of your plus size costume, you will be a sexy walking billboard for this simple truth.
4. Gifting The World With Plus Size Versions Of Tired Characters Is Definitely Sexy
The world is full of beloved fictional characters. The world is especially full of beloved fictional characters who primarily represent straight size bodies. If you are a true lover of Wonder Woman or Cruella de Vil or Carrie Bradshaw or whoever else inspires your sartorial heart, it is arguably your duty to gift society with the badass fat girl version of this entity.
If mainstream media and culture at large still insist on keeping representation of fat bodies at a minimum, it's crucial that everyday folks create the representation we so need. Your plus size version of a fan-favorite persona is bound to not only look fabulous, but serve as a reminder that this world is desperate for more plus size heroes.
5. Your Cellulite And/Or Stretchies Will Be On Display
Lotions and potions available at your friendly neighborhood drugstore might try to tell you that cellulite and stretch marks are flaws to be zapped and cured (even if, like, 90 percent of women have the former, thus suggesting it's totally normal). But your plus size Halloween costume is itching to reveal an alternative narrative.
Cellulite, stretch marks, and all those other socially-crafted "imperfections" are pieces of the puzzle that is your body. They're part of what makes you you. For that reason, they'll always be pretty damn hot. Think of them as accessories to a costume that's already rad, but could be made even better.
6. More Body = More Places To Flaunt
Your plus size body is a canvas. Sure, it's one that probably has more mass than the average Halloween costume model. But for that reason, it's one with all the more potential to flaunt.
More body does not mean more places in need of hiding, tucking, and sucking. It just means more places that can be shown love and designated the fearless kind of sexiness so many people adore about this holiday.
7. Body-Hugging Costumes Will Snuggle All Your Sexy Rolls
Repeat this mantra to yourself whenever you're feeling like you "can't" rock a costume because of the appearance of your ~unsightly~ rolls: "My rolls are fabulous. My rolls are soft. My rolls are pleasantly plump. My rolls are part of me."
A lot of Halloween costumes focus on body-hugging, belly-baring style aesthetics. At the end of the day, your rolls deserve to be hugged, too. And they'll be so pleased about the affection that they'll look slamming beneath that killer form-fitting look.
8. Breaking Good Fatty Tropes Always Looks Amazing
Most good fatty archetypes work under the assumption that clothing made for fat people should exist primarily to make them look less fat. Your role as a plus size user of fashion is thus to shrink yourself, hide your wobbly bits, and preserve the public's eye from having to gaze upon your substantially large derriere or double tummy.
It's for this reason, perhaps, that seeing plus size individuals rocking the kinds of looks socially designated to thin bodies is so radical. Take the Playboy Bunny, for instance. It's an image seeping with sexual innuendo and one that has historically been reserved for women who "fit the bill." So to see a plus size babe wearing it with no apology will always look (and feel) beyond amazing.
9. See-Through Garments On Plus Size Bods Are A Sight To Be Seen
Because there's nothing about your body worthy of shame, there's nothing quite as fabulous as proving as much through the utilization of see-through fabrics that show it all off. Chunky thighs and bellies deserve to experience the wonders of mesh, TBH.
10. Your Choice Might Encourage A Fellow Fat To Depart From Their Comfort Zone
If you are of the mindset that there's nothing quite as empowering as empowering other people, then being a fearless plus size person come Halloween-time should be on your radar. Too many plus size humans still feel limited in the things they "can" and "cannot" wear thanks to social conditioning and questionable representation. But you have the ability to shift the narrative through your day-to-day decisions.
Even if those decisions only influence one fellow plus sizer who previously thought they weren't ~allowed~ to wear something cool or sexy or fun for Halloween, they will still matter. By dressing in the Halloween costume of your sexy dreams, you can make a change. It might feel like a micro change, but it's still a pretty damn good one.
11. You Can Prove That Wearing Black Doesn't Have To Mean "Hiding"
Black is a color thought to look universally good on every single body. But when it comes to plus size fashion, it's one generally thought to be absolutely essential for the fatties of the world who must be working towards flattering their figures.
Sometimes, this old sartorial cliche might make plus size babes feel like they have to deviate from the hue in exchange for look-at-me rainbow palettes. But rocking black doesn't have to translate to "trying to hide."
Halloween is the perfect opportunity to embrace the radical, sexy side of the color without feeling any less empowered. Take a cue from the sea witch above and remember that your body deserves to look sultry AF.
12. Giving No Effs Will Look Good On Ya
One of the simplest reasons your plus size body looks amazing in that costume is because it's yours. Chances are your body allows you to do a hell of a lot of magical things, like consuming the Halloween-inspired cocktails at your favorite bar or dancing the night away at that costume party.
You will look fabulous in your costume so long as you are wearing something that makes you happy while giving zero effs about what certain body shaming people might have to say.
13. You'll Look Like Like A Goddess From History
There are a lot of fat ladies and femmes out there who adore Baroque art that focuses on Rubenesque depictions of women. Even if there are few comparable works circa 2016, Halloween is the perfect time to feel like your most goddess-like self. People throughout history have long known that plus size bodies are badass. So let every inch of yours assume such a role. You'll look and feel amazing, queen.
14. A Bedazzled Plus Size Body Is A Fab Plus Size Body
Halloween is largely about sequins and sparkles. Like, it's the one day a year when throwing a bucket of glitter on yourself is not only socially accepted, but encouraged. What's even better is that bedazzled gems are one surefire way to show your body that you love it enough to decorate the sh*t out of it.
15. You'll Look Strong
Strength can look like a lot of different things to different people. For some, it might translate to carved musculature. For others, it might be all about making it through another day without setting the office on fire. For others still, it's all about strength of character and ability to thrive in an all too often crappy world.
Embracing your plus size body come Halloween (and at any time, TBH) is also a sign of strength. It can take a lot to reclaim your body's autonomy when it so often seems to be ripped away. Choosing to dress like your most fearless, sexy self is equalizing, though. It's a sign that your body is not "less than" but just one of the many types of bodies that make the world go 'round.
If Halloween remains the one night a year when everyone is free to dress in the most radical, sexy, OTT looks to have ever existed, there's no reason for your plus size self to sit it out. Join the fun, reclaim your rolls, and rest assured in knowing that you'll look like magic.
Images: Courtesy the__chza/Twitter (2), Caitliń Pausé, Georgina Jones, Elizabeth Nuñez, Melissa Jantina Melina (2), Stephanie Yeboah, Hannah-Eléni Goble, Dana Martinez, Alysse Dalessandro, Lisa Böhm, Bertha Chan, thefatallie/Twitter, Summer Kornegay, Kobi Jae
