The perfect feminist costumes for Feverween

When you hear Club Fever, dark dance floors packed with fog machine mist and sweaty students come to mind. Feve, as it is known around campus, is a rite of passage upon arriving as a freshman at Notre Dame. If you don’t Feve on Thursday night, are you even an ND student? (You’re probably a senior who has found better alternatives.)

Feverween is Feve’s yearly peak. The entrances get packed with girls in stilettos and cat ears and guys in sports jerseys. Every year, I look around and think, “Couldn’t we have gotten a bit more creative this year?!” I am a personal fan of the funny approach to Halloween costumes. One year I did Kim Kardashian and stuffed a pillow into the back of my dress to mock Kim’s famous curves. Another personal favorite is the Dumble-Dora-the-Explora costume. It’s a thing.

This year in particular, however, seems the perfect time to showcase your feminist side in costume selection. It’s a year when a female has been selected to represent a major political party in the US for the first time. Ruth Bader Ginsburg came to Notre Dame just last month and spoke to a full stadium about her own experiences as a woman.And how can we forget Beyonce’s epic album drop this year – Lemonade, anyone? Being a woman seems pretty on-trend this year (and for the rest of forever, obviously). If it took society this long to realize how smart and hardworking women are, why shouldn’t we celebrate? And what better place than Feve, where women seem almost forced into wearing low-cut dresses and six-inch heels lest they get denied entry by the bouncers. Here are some celebratory women (both real and fictional) who helped along the way:

Amelia Earhart

Who doesn’t look great in some retro aviation goggles? This chick is known for her bravery, as the first female aviation pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic. It’s an easy costume – just DIY the goggles and plane, and wear a button-down and pants. Done.

Joan of Ark

Grab some fake medieval armor and lead France to victory in this get-up, celebrating the heroine and canonized saint of the Hundred Years War.

Khaleesi Daenerys Targaryen

Who better to be on Halloween than the Queen of Dragons? You can DIY a top by hot gluing linen pieces to a bandeau and wearing a skirt. Dig out your old Webkinz dragon, because it will come in handy this year! Game of Thrones is known for having a lot of nudity and graphic scenes thrughout the show. Shoutout to Emilia Clarke for demanding that should there be nudity in the newer seasons, that it be equal parts male and female.

Hillary Clinton

Love her or hate her, she knows how to rock a pantsuit. Get your chunky gold earrings and your mom’s old suit from the eighties. A coifed blonde wig wouldn’t hurt. Don’t forget that blackberry (or any cell phone because who still owns a Blackberry?).

Claire Underwood

Ah, the often-villainous, but always dominating Claire. She may not always be the most honest character, but she is a champion for the Powerful Woman–a character often lacking in Hollywood. And let’s not forget actress Robin Wright demanding equal pay for the role. You go girl! Claire requires a modern pixie cut and classic pencil skirt or dress. A little American Flag pin wouldn’t hurt, because of course Claire runs D.C.

Olivia Pope

On the subject of women running D.C., Olivia Pope fits right in. You’ll need a great pantsuit and coat, along with a DIY ID tag to wear around your neck. Olivia Pope is D.C.’s number one “fixer” and could rival Claire Underwood in her power status were they to meet.

The entire cast of Orange is the New Black

Need we say more? Orange jumpsuits are cheap on Amazon. You can rock them with combat boots or sneakers. This is the perfect costume for your crew of ladies. Someone has to rock Crazy Eyes’ famous hairstyle, while one of your brunette friends can don some glasses to be Alex.

Tina and Amy

Fey and Poehler, of course. Glasses? Check. Humor? Errr…check? Don’t be afraid to whip out those jokes with this costume, celebrating two women who proved guys aren’t the only funny ones out there.

Marie Curie

If you go to Jordan Hall of Science, you can spot the Marie Curie figurine carving above one of the doors. That’s because she is one of the most important figures in scientific history. Sneak a lab coat out of lab next time, and don’t forget your goggles (safety first!). A classic trick is to put dry ice into a container so that smoke billows out, like some kind of mad science experiment–perfect for Halloween.

Queen Bey

You can totally dress in some strategically-sparkly sheer dress or one of her famous Single Ladies leotards, or you can go the punny route with a crown and a bee-like costume holding a jug of lemonade. Either way, people will be quick to recognize perhaps the most popular singer out there right now.

Oprah Winfrey

One for you, and one for you, and one for you! A nice sweater and slacks are must-have and don’t forget to hand out giveaways all night…maybe in the form of Halloween candy?

J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling is a great example of a woman who was struggling to get by and then, in the flick of a wand, made it. Her books are some of the most popular children’s novels ever written. And hey, she even has strong female characters in her books–hello, Hermione! For Ms. Rowling, dress smartly and carry writing utensils, a Harry Potter book, and tea. She famously started the Harry Potter series on a napkin in a coffee shop, so a coffee-stained napkin wouldn’t hurt.

Tina Belcher

Tina is a “smart, strong, sensual woman.” Aren’t we all? Get yourself some great blunt bangs and glasses and you’re set. Just don’t forget that pointed wit.

And so many more…the list could go on with Wendy Davis and her famous pink running shoes that she wore to filibuster the Senate, and Viola Davis becoming the first black woman of any nationality to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. What can we say? Girls run the world!