Why DO all Halloween costumes look like strippers' outfits? Our reporter goes fancy dress shopping - and finds even a taxi driver outfit can be made overtly sexy
- Daily Mail Australia went looking for budget-friendly Halloween costumes
- Journalist Louise Cheer was less than impressed with her festive options
- She found costumes showed a lot of skin and left little to the imagination
- Cheer asks why women's Halloween outfits need to have sex appeal
- See full coverage of Halloween news and viral stories
It's three days before Halloween and this costume store is complete chaos.
When I step into the store in Sydney's inner-west, I'm overwhelmed by the number of outfits, masks and wigs that take up every inch of the store, and crammed in between the aisles are swaths of people on their last-minute hunt for that perfect costume.
As I cast my eye over the adult section of the store that boasts various budget polyester takes on pirates, school girls, cheerleaders and police officers, a quote from one of my favourite movies pops into my mind: 'In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total sl*t and no other girls can say anything else about it.'
![This taxi driver outfit was given the thumbs down by Daily Mail Australia journalist Louise Cheer](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE56E6A00000578-3295683-image-a-1_1446149797442.jpg)
This taxi driver outfit was given the thumbs down by Daily Mail Australia journalist Louise Cheer
![The costume sold at Drummoyne's The Party People was thigh-skimming](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE5607400000578-3295683-image-m-18_1446149974162.jpg)
![It also had the words free ride on the left breast of the costume](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE5614700000578-3295683-image-a-10_1446149896371.jpg)
The costume sold at Drummoyne's The Party People was thigh-skimming and had the words 'free rides' on the chest
While I'm not saying that's what I think women do, I definitely think that's what costume manufacturers think we do.
I mean I'm looking at what's on offer in here and almost every model dressed as a pirate on the packaging is baring their midriff, flashing their chest or showing off their pins - leaving little to the imagination.
But it's not the most disturbing thing I find in Drummoyne's The Party People. Next to the pirates are the cheerleader outfits and among them I spot a red and white outfit with a deep V neckline matched with a thigh-skimming skirt and a pair of underwear with the charming words 'haze me' on the back of them.
For those playing at home, 'hazing' is an American ritual undertaken by university students where they have to complete humiliating tasks - some involving degrading sexual acts - in order to join a group or fraternity.
![This costume was simply named 'Baby Doll' and made out of a shiny purple material](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE5571A00000578-3295683-image-m-19_1446149997792.jpg)
![Above is a pink outfit which was obviously a throwback to Olivia Newton-John's 'Let's Get Physical' outfit](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE5548E00000578-3295683-image-a-20_1446150008265.jpg)
The costume pictured on the left was simply named 'Baby Doll', and the one on the right was obviously a throwback to Olivia Newton-John's 'Let's Get Physical' outfit
![Cheer was reminded of a scene from one of her favourite movies, Mean Girls, where the main character, Cady, is questioned about why she was dressed so scary while the rest of friends were dressed in sexy costumes](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/21/2DEBED3100000578-3295683-image-a-42_1446155372835.jpg)
Cheer was reminded of a scene from one of her favourite movies, Mean Girls, where the main character, Cady, is questioned about why she was dressed so scary while the rest of friends were dressed in sexy costumes
![Customer Andrea Alarcon (right) was kind enough to try on this pirate outfit, which has an exposed midriff. On the left is Cheer who is wearing a masquerade-inspired outfit](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE54DBA00000578-3295683-image-a-7_1446149870561.jpg)
Customer Andrea Alarcon (right) was kind enough to try on this pirate outfit, which has an exposed midriff. On the left is Cheer who is wearing a masquerade-inspired outfit
In the next aisle over, I discover a sexy taxi driver outfit. No offence to taxi drivers but they're not considered categorically sexy, yet somehow costumer manufacturers have made it so.
This one is truly awful. Not only does it have the standard skin-baring cut-outs in all the right places, but its pièce de résistance is located on my right breast when I try on the daring piece - the words 'free rides' stitched in black writing on a white patch. What's next a sexy Uber driver outfit?
There are also a collection of other outfits that don't even hide the fact they're trying to be overtly provocative.
For example, take the 'Baby Doll' costume I tried on. What is a 'baby doll' do you ask? To the every day person, a 'baby doll' is a kind of toy normally played with by children or a type of lingerie.
![Sully, from Disney Pixar's Monsters Inc, was the inspiration for this sexy monster outfit being held up by Cheer](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE5711D00000578-3295683-image-a-8_1446149882140.jpg)
Sully, from Disney Pixar's Monsters Inc, was the inspiration for this sexy monster outfit being held up by Cheer
![Even dressing up as a firefighter is made provocative by this costume, which features a mini dress](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE5621400000578-3295683-image-a-11_1446149904446.jpg)
Even dressing up as a firefighter is made provocative by this costume, which features a mini dress
![Cheer assists Ms Alarcon with her headband on this 'sexy' pirate outfit that features a mini skirt](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE54ECD00000578-3295683-image-a-12_1446149916425.jpg)
Cheer assists Ms Alarcon with her headband on this 'sexy' pirate outfit that features a mini skirt
![Another costume that does not need to be sexy is this cave woman outfit](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE55EEF00000578-3295683-image-m-16_1446149943508.jpg)
![It was obvious this 'plumber girl' costume was inspired by Nintendo character Mario](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE55D4900000578-3295683-image-a-17_1446149959353.jpg)
Another costume that does not need to be sexy is this cave woman outfit (left) and this Mario-inspired 'plumber girl' outfit
This outfit definitely leaned more to the latter side of things.
I felt incredibly uncomfortable and exposed while wearing the attire, and also felt I was drawing way too much attention to the least favourite part of my body with two pink fluffy mounds encasing each of my breasts.
Don't even get me started on the tacky purple gloves.
What I'm trying to say here is where are the costumes for the women who just want to be a regular pirate or cave woman on a budget without having expose half their body and be offered up like a sacrificial lamb on Halloween?
Heck, I've fallen in the trap before where I've had to buy a cheerleading outfit made of cheap polyester because I didn't want to spend the extra money on a decent costume.
But in my defence I thought I was being clever as it was a play on words on my last name.
![Maleficent was the only decent costume on a budget to come out of this Halloween hunt](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE557CE00000578-3295683-image-a-22_1446150057013.jpg)
Maleficent was the only decent costume on a budget to come out of this Halloween hunt
![Cheer and Ms Alarcon could not help but laugh at some of the ridiculousness of the costumes](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE5495F00000578-3295683-image-a-27_1446150106928.jpg)
![An axe stuck out of the back of this 'sexy' firefighter costume to add to the drama](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE5629300000578-3295683-image-m-26_1446150095744.jpg)
Cheer and Ms Alarcon could not help but laugh at some of the ridiculousness of the costumes
![Some of the outfits were genuinely spooky and would make decent Halloween costumes like this skeleton one above](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE5634E00000578-3295683-image-a-28_1446150163583.jpg)
Some of the outfits were genuinely spooky and would make decent Halloween costumes like this skeleton one above
![The Party People, in Sydney's inner-west, also had a fantastic wig selection, including this glitter disco one (left on Freya Noble) and this mullet (right on Cheer)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/10/29/20/2DE5747900000578-3295683-image-a-29_1446150175031.jpg)
The Party People, in Sydney's inner-west, also had a fantastic wig selection, including this glitter disco one (left on Freya Noble) and this mullet (right on Cheer)
Granted there are a few budget-friendly and decent options out there, like the pictured Maleficent skeleton costumes.
But with others you're better off making your own.
Furthermore what's even more concerning is that children who frequent costume stores are exposed to this mentality that a requirement for women on Halloween is to dress sexy.
I mean what else are they going to think when they walk pass and see walls and walls of costumes branded with the words 'Forplay' (sic), 'Fantasy' and 'Sexy' on them with a scantily clad woman on the front?
As one of my favourite cartoon reverend's wives (it's a very niche category), once said: 'Won't somebody please think of the children?'
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