
We are over a week into October, AKA the spookiest month of the year. And while the leaves may be changing and temperatures may be dropping, one thing stays the same: hundreds of people – NAY, thousands of people will be dressing up as Princess Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid (1989) and Princess Jasmine from Disney’s animated Aladdin (1992).
Sure, this is all fine and well, but let me shatter the glass for you people: this Halloween doesn’t need you to add to its Little Mermaid or Jasmine costume population. There. I said it.
Is it just me, or are there always at least a handful of people dressed as Princess Ariel and/or Princess Jasmine? What’s up with that? Let’s dive in.
Where Are All the Ariels and Jasmines Coming From?
I totally get that Ariel and Jasmine are amazing Disney Princesses. Their popularity need not be questioned. However, the question remains: Why, every Halloween, do I see so many people (Disney lovers as well as Disney acquaintances) choose to dress up as either one of these princesses?
Is it their iconic looks? Are people riding the popularity wave of the whole mermaid aesthetic thing, and figure Ariel is the most recognizable one? And Jasmine has some pretty admirable and identifiable hair; is that what people are drawn to?
Look, what these costumes really have in common is that they generally allow the wearer to have a genuine reason to expose their abdomen…is that the reason so many people went to dress like them? Hey, now, I have nothing against a good crop top – especially if you’ve been working out and you want to showcase the six-pack. I’m just genuinely trying to search for the reason I see at least five or six Ariels and Jasmines at every Halloween event I attend.
Or is it me? Am I just jaded? Do I spend too much time thinking about Disney and, therefore, unconsciously seek it out in my personal life? Am I somehow manifesting all these Princess Ariel and Jasmine costumes, or other people having the same experience?
Ariel and Jasmine Alternatives
If you want to be a Disney character who shows off her midriff, be Moana! I hardly ever see any Moana’s. Or try Snow White at the beach – goodness knows that girl needs a tan.
You know, Kida from Atlantis (2001) also has an exposed midriff and is a very rare Disney Halloween costume. Choosing Kida can be especially creative if done in a couple’s costume with Milo!
Maybe you really just wanna wear an awesome wig? Princess Merida is literally right there. What’s better than that red-orange lion’s mane? Or maybe you just want to be a Disney Princess from your childhood, and that is fine. Cool, even! Can you channel Mulan or Pocahontas without appropriating their culture? (If the answer to that is “no,” then please, please leave Mulan and Pocahontas out of this.)
Better yet, why not be any version of Aurora, AKA Sleeping Beauty, and take naps at every Halloween party you go to?! People will wonder if you’re sleeping or if you’re just really committed to character. A win-win in my book.
I suppose if you want to dress as the live-action Ariel, I’ll give you a pass this year because that movie did just come out, and there are some awesome wardrobe pieces that Halle Bailey wears. They would be totally fun costumes. (Again, please do not appropriate any culture for the sake of a Halloween costume.)
If you want to go an even better route, maybe gender-bend a costume so that you can show your midriff and wear a fun wig! Tarzan is basically calling your name.
All in all, if you really feel strongly about being Ariel or Jasmine this Halloween, then you do you! Your happiness is king here. But if you want to shake it up this year, consider trying something new and let us know how it went.
(And, if you are a child, also please do you.)