Slutty secretaries, playboy bunnies, risque nurses ... these are all costumes that are standard for Halloween (find other sexy costumes here). Are they the kind of costume that you're going to be wearing a couple of nights from now or do you plan to go with a more subdued look for the holiday?

It's a tough question this question of whether or not to sexy it up for Halloween. It's difficult for women to toe the line between being sexy and being slutty, being sexual and being preyed upon for their sexuality. It shouldn't be this way - these labels long ago should have ceased to exist - but it is this way anyway. And the issue comes up a lot at Halloween because it's one of the few times of year when it's generally acceptable for the single gal to dress in a sexy manner and not get harassed.

As for me, I don't tend to go all out with buying costumes because I don't want to spend the money on something I'm only going to wear once. So I usually go with some version of the sexy secretary look using a mixture of items that I already have in my own closet. It works for me but this holiday always brings up that old issue of what it means to be sexy and who you are being sexy for.

What do you think? When you put on the short cheerleader skirt to head to the Halloween party, is it because you like the way it makes you feel? Does Halloween give you the freedom to pretend to be someone that you normally can't be? Or do you dress up like this because you think it's what's expected of you as a woman during this costumed holiday?