Following a Twitter outcry, an e-tailer has removed a “sexy” costume inspired by “The Handmaid’s Tale” from its site.
Yandy.com had posted a listing for a Brave Red Maiden Costume. Photos of the look showed a model clad in a minidress, long red cape and white bonnet paired with sky-high black stilettos.
Fans were enraged to see the sensual spin on the handmaids’ looks. As the television series is set in a dystopian world in which handmaids are routinely subjected to rape and are forced into pregnancy, Twitter users were not into the outfit — with many calling the look sexist.
“Today: Slutty Handmaid’s Tale Costume. Tomorrow: Slutty Global Warming,” writer Kashana Cauley posted to Twitter.
“I’m dressing up as existential despair this Halloween,” feminist author Jessica Valenti tweeted.
“Nothing like a sexy rape victim for Halloween fun huh,” wrote one Twitter user.
Yandy pulled the costume amid the outpouring of criticism, releasing a statement of apology to Twitter.
“[I]t has become obvious that our ‘Yandy Brave Red Maiden Costume’ is being seen as a symbol of women’s oppression, rather than as an expression of women’s empowerment. This is unfortunate, as this was not our intention on any level. Our initial inspiration to create the piece was through witnessing its use in recent months as a powerful protest image,” the statement reads. “Given the sincere, heartfelt response … we are removing the costume from our site.”
Want more?
Bet You Don’t Know What’s Under the Red Robes in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’
5 Easy Pop Culture Costumes to Copy This Halloween
7 Enchanting Shoes to Wear With a Witch Costume — Starting at Just $7
