Dare to Bare: the Rise of ‘Sexy Halloween’
Happy Halloween? Horny Halloween, more like. For a long time, sexy Halloween costumes had a bad reputation, but society has shed its prudish skin and embraced its sexuality. We get one night a year where we’re free to go out in whatever (and as little as) we want without fear of judgment — and we’re making the most of it.
Pure surveyed 2,000 adults from around the globe on their costume plans for Halloween and where they hope All Hallows’ Eve takes them. Turns out, it’s no longer the night of ghouls and witches… Nowadays, you’re more likely to find Wonder Woman in a skin-tight suit and a shirtless Indiana Jones roaming the streets.
Key takeaways
- This Halloween, 58% of adults are likely to wear a ‘sexy’ costume. While the majority of those that dress up do so for the fun of it, 19% are hoping to end the night with a fling.
- With 63% of people having fantasized about a character they saw at a Halloween party and 80% finding the anonymity a costume provides a turn-on, there’s a high chance those hoping for a treat will get lucky.
- If you’re unsure what to wear, Catwoman, Harley Quinn, and nurse costumes have been voted the sexiest for women. Likewise, gladiator, police officer and Batman costumes were picked as the sexiest for men.
PURE DATING — ANYTHING BUT BORING!
Sexy is the new scary
Halloween is no longer a night of gore… It’s a night of glamor. In fact, 58% of people are ‘definitely’ or ‘likely’ to pick out a sexy costume this year compared to just 23% that will opt for something scary. There’s really only one night a year where dressing up as a saucy Freddy Frueger could get you laid, so you have to take your chances when they come.
This devilish tradition was born out of the freedom Halloween provides to celebrate our sexuality and bodies. No matter how provocative, we can dress as sexy as we like without fear of judgment. It’s fitting, then, that women — given their historic struggles against oppression — are far more likely to use Halloween to dress up (or strip down) into something seductive. Some 72% of women are likely to wear a sexy outfit this year, compared to just 43% of men.
A chance to dress (and a chance to get down)
When we see a sexy nurse prowling a Halloween party, we don’t assume they’re looking for blood, but rather for a boo. For 39% of people, sexy Halloween costumes scream “I’m looking for a fling!”... and often that assumption is correct.
Halloween is a time to let our wild side out and 56% of people have no plans to hold back this year. For 37%, it’s simply an opportunity to dress up and have a good time. The other 19% view it as a chance to have some fun too (but they’re hoping for a treat in the sack).
You’re not the only one with the hots for Halloween. Some 76% of men and 49% of women have had sexual fantasies about a character they met at a Halloween party — so if you’re hoping for a fling, you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding someone willing to let you ride on their broomstick or go bobbing for their apples.
There isn’t a love potion going around the party. Rather, it just turns out that dressing up is a dreadfully effective way to get the blood pumping. In fact, 80% find the anonymity that a Halloween costume provides a turn-on. With a mask on or face full of make-up, Halloween allows us to forget about our insecurities and masquerade the night away without a care in the world.
It isn’t the full moon or witching hour that drives our lust for a costume. In fact, 75% of people are turned on by roleplay no matter what day of the year it is — Halloween simply offers a rare opportunity for people to play out their fantasies in public.
Back to your coffin or mine?
You went all out on an outfit that was certain to make eyeballs turn, threw in a few shots for good measure, and found the perfect partner to complete your concoction. Before you know it, you’re heading back home with your monstrous match, your outfits are strewn across your apartment, and you’re being eaten by a sexy zombie.
But for many, it’s much more than some hocus pocus in the dead of the night — with a Halloween fling having blossomed into a lasting relationship for 20% of people.
Hoping for a Halloween treat? These are 2023’s sexiest costumes
If you’re looking for a costume that people will marvel at, you can’t go wrong with superheroes… Skintight suits that show off your curves and leave plenty still on show. It’s no surprise that Catwoman and Harley Quinn were voted as the top sexy costume ideas this year, fighting off competition from the likes of Barbie, Princess Leia and Wednesday Addams.
But if you want something more traditional, it’s time to blow the cobwebs off your sexy nurse costume. Offering just the right dosage of terror and temptation, you will find yourself inundated with willing patients this Halloween.
All those Catwomen will need a partner in crime, so expect Batman to be a popular choice this year. The epitome of strength and power, there’s a reason why the likes of Chris Evans, Paul Rudd, Michael B. Jordan have dominated ‘world’s sexiest men’ lists in recent years — Superheroes are in high demand.
However, ahead of the Caped Crusader stands the gladiator and police officer. Rather than causing a scare, evidently, the theme this year is strength and power. If you’ve planned your outfit accordingly, you could be in for a treat. If you haven’t, well, you’re missing a real trick.
Methodology: To create this study, researchers from Pure surveyed 2,000 adults aged over 18 years old. The study includes participants of all genders and ethnicities.