Demand for sexy Halloween costumes has hit an all-time low, plunging 74% to account for just one in every 24 Google searches, as Brits now prioritise outfits that make friends laugh over revealing looks.
The decline marks a stark contrast with past decades. In 2007, one in six Google searches for 'Halloween costume' included the word 'sexy'. Club nights in the 2010s were packed with sexy cats, sexy nurses, and sexy bunny rabbits, a trend so ingrained in youth culture that it appeared in Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging in 2008. In one scene, Georgia, dressed as an olive, questions her friends' decision to ditch their hors d'oeuvre costumes, only to be reminded that 'boys don't rate girls for funniness'.
Data Shows Steep Decline in Sexy Costume Searches
To track the decline, escort platform Erobella compared UK Google searches for sexy costumes with searches for Halloween costumes every month since 2004, focusing on September and October. The figures provide an approximate ratio, as it was not possible to filter out hen dos or non-spooky parties.
Out of the 18 most searched sexy costumes, 16 are down on their pre-pandemic level. Comparing the Halloweens of 2023 to 2025 with 2016 to 2019, searches for a sexy nurse costume fell 49%. Sexy devil and sexy angel costumes are also far less popular, down 50% and 58% respectively.
Possible Reasons Behind the Shift
Some argue the shift is linked to Gen Z's increasing interest in religion. A YouGov survey commissioned in 2025 found that the number of young people attending church in England and Wales has skyrocketed in the last six years. TikTok trends, such as trad wife culture, could also be impacting fashion choices.
While costumes catered towards women are still considerably sexier in party shops, Erobella's report revealed that, for the first time in Google's records, people searched for sexy men's Halloween costumes more than women's. Magic Mike costumes have become one of the most popular sexy searches, first taking off in 2022.
Viral Moments Inspire Halloween Costumes
Social media now provides the best inspiration for Halloween outfits. The term 'gay Halloween' describes the phenomenon of turning viral moments into costume inspiration, with camp and over-the-top looks taking centre stage.
Popular costumes this year include Kathryn Turner, Director of Product Development at M&S Food, and Molly, the $15,000 animatronic bird that Kelly Clarkson tried to purchase at an independent art store in Brooklyn. Another option is dressing as the limes from Dakota Johnson's Architectural Digest interview.
