Just watch out for Bon Temps, smonster. I hear some weird shit goes down in that town.

I'm all for looking sexy. Yay, sexy! Yay, corsets! But when that is the only option available, even with something as innocuous as Halloween costumes, that's disheartening.

Plus it reinforces only one acceptable way to be "sexy."

Not to mention that it reinforces the idea that "sexy" is the only acceptable option for women, and any woman who would want to look any other way (or be any other way) is not a "real" woman.

Yet another reason to go the thrift-store route, which I always preferred anyway.

I always dressed up as a witch. A covered neck-to-ankles, green face paint, shrieking cackle sort of witch. Dude, I wanted to be the Wicked Witch of the West when I grew up, what else was I going to dress up as?

I need to go hit the local Value Village in the next few days, because they save goodies all year to put out for Halloween.

I'm waiting until the third week in October when the thrift store near my parents is marking everything 75% off.

I'm waiting until the third week in October when the thrift store near my parents is marking everything 75% off.

Could I maybe I give you a list of things to keep an eye out for? insert grin and batting of eyelashes here

Sure, Jilli. I'm Lagarat at gmail.

Yay! I will write up a list. Thank you so much!

My pleasure.

Coming in after a way too long absence ... the ubiquity of "sexy" costumes (Sexy Big Bird?!!!1!!! REALLY?!?) is disturbing. What bothers me about the sexy costumes for children - little girls, mind you, not little boys - is that the girl gets the impression that it's what she should be doing, that she is expected if not obligated to be sexy in this particular way and that it becomes a part of her self-image. And if she doesn't fit easily or comfortably in that particular mold, if she's slower to develop her own sexuality, then you get self-esteem issues ... which she'll get enough of as she actually does grow into being a sexual being.

I wrote a post 2 hours ago and you guys have said it better.

I just have seen too many little girls wearing and doing things (4th graders doing the butterfly and hip thrusts on the playground -- a GROUP of little girls, and I put a stop to that) that are too, too mature for their age. I am ok with teens wanting to express themselves, within limits (and I am *highly* pro-body and pro-sexuality, so my limits are sensible) but many of the clothes marketed to 6-10 years olds, dance recitals, etc. are ridic and not at all appropo.

I get what Trudy was saying about the hugely cultural aspects of lots of dance, and I get it...but on the playground? No.

I let a lot slide monitoring hs dances, cause my kids were Latino, and I could tell the diff between sexy dancing-dancing and grinding, booty popping, thrusting for display and too overtness.

But those little 8 yo's on the playground butterflying -- sticks with me. A couple of those girls -- the lascivious looks, the porn star poses. They knew it was sexual behavior, they knew it would get attention from boys.

I am far from a prude, but...No. Way.