So we posted this last week as a Facebook thread, but a blog post in Gothamist got my attention and I thought it was time to pick up the issue again. The post, “How Young Is Too Young To Be Slutty Whatever for Halloween?” takes issue with a modeling photo of young girl, around 13 or 14, in maid and Heidi costumes.
The company, Buy Costumes, specifically markets these as child costumes- despite the lacy corsets and skirts that barely hit mid-thigh. And these are just a sampling: Among this season’s offerings online are Graveyard Fairy, Little Bo Beep and chambermaid costumes that should raise a few eyebrows.
Fact: many girls in their late teens and college years use Halloween as an excuse to wear something their mother never would have let them out of the house in.
Consider this clip from Mean Girls: “In the regular world, Halloween is when children dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In girl world, Halloween the one night a year when a girl can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.”
But the question asked by Gothamist is a good one: How young is too young? And here’s a better one: Why the heck are costume companies marketing this as a child costume when this blogger- all of 23 – wouldn’t be caught dead in a skirt that short. I don’t care how much candy is involved.
