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Dressing up for Halloween used to mean lots of black binbags and plastic fangs – now it’s just an excuse to wear as little as possible. Never mind the bunny ears this year, writes ROSEMARY MAC CABE, just lash on the fake blood

There’s a scene in Mean Girlsin which the character Cady goes to a Halloween party thrown by girls at her school. New to the western world, having been home-schooled in Africa (a genius narrative twist, it has to be said), Cady arrives at the party as a vampire bride, resplendent in torn wedding dress, blood-soaked hair and face, and fanged teeth. Her misfire is immediately apparent; in a sea of Playboy bunnies, sexy mice and sexy cats, she stands out like the proverbial sore thumb.