I have decided to make my daughter’s first Halloween costume. (Pictures/instructions in a later post.) A lot of things factored into my decision: the fact that she’s crawling all over the place and I wanted something that was lightweight and wouldn’t get caught on things or make her slip were some of my top reasons.
Do you think this is appropriate for a 2-year-old?
But really, it came down to the fact that I’m completely disenchanted with what the stores have to offer. Because it seems like every year, the little girl costumes look more and more like the “sexy” Halloween costumes.
What happened to little girls being able to look like little girls? And STAY little girls for just a little bit longer? (I go on rants about little girls walking around with “Juicy” written on the butt of their sweatpants as well. Because REALLY? Why (WHY?!) does a 9-year-old need “Juicy” written across her bottom? Whose benefit is that for? Pedophiles? Because anyone who looks at a little girl’s bottom and thinks “juicy” has issues. Major issues. Locked-away-from-society issues.
Case in point: The first picture is for a size 18 month to 2T. So … 18 month-olds and 2-year-olds. I found it on the Toys R Us Web site when searching for Halloween costumes for my almost 9-month-old.
Now the child model is wearing tights, which is good. And you could argue that it’s a leotard with a tutu and wings. I’ll give you that.
But what’s with the top of the outfit? Why the off-the-shoulder look with ruffles? Why so much bare skin?
This model is TWO FREAKING YEARS OLD.
Is this costume so very different from the toddler version?
I never thought of myself as a prude or a “cover yourself” kind of person but this totally rubbed me the wrong way.
I posted the link on my Facebook page with this message: I don’t know about you, but I never wanted to be a ladybug hooker for Halloween. Especially not when I was 18 MONTHS OLD. WTF.
One friend responded that it looks like an “Old West showgirl.” That’s code for prostitute, in case you were wondering.
What I’m getting at, is that the sexualization of little girls disgusts me. It pisses me off to no end. It makes little girls, who then become tween, teens, and young women, that their worth is firmly based on their looks.
And to look “good” means wearing short shorts, short skirts, low-cut or off-the-shoulder shirts. To look sexually appealing. To men. In a society where a rape victim’s sexual history and the clothes she is wearing is a cornerstone of the defense. Because if she dresses “sexy”, that means she’s asking for it.
Compare the two images: Off-the-shoulder design, a tutu, tights, and wings. The length of the skirts is practically the same for both costumes, in proportion to the models. Both are (technically) wearing tights. The adult model has her hair styled like a school girl. (Because school girls are sexy?) Even their poses are similar.
My daughter will not be a ladybug hooker for Halloween this year. I’m making her a winged cape out of felt that she’ll wear over a black onesie and leggings.
She is nearly 9 months old — and she’s going to dress like it, damn it.
Surviving Parenthood 
Ugh, that’s the worst I’ve seen. And also? How is it within reason to make a ladybug sexy? What’s next? Sexy cockroach?
OMG. They could make a matched pair: “Sexy cockroach” and “hunky exterminator.” I wouldn’t put it past them!
But what if she really WANTS to be a ladybug hooker? 😉 J/K, I just wanted to say ladybug hooker. They didn’t even have that kind of shit when we were kids. There’s plenty of time to dress like a whore much later on.
Hah! I don’t think she’s even SEEN a ladybug yet. I’m a bit baffled — I didn’t expect to be dismayed by my daughter’s clothing choices until she was much older!
There’s a reason my little monkey girl was a fairy (with long sleeves and heavy tights under the skirt) for her 1st Halloween. Last year she was a pink poodle (Justin was a puppy) in an outfit that looks like a fluffy version of her feetie (feety?) jammies. Granted it has a tail and a hood with ears, but still…. SO not the “sexy” look of 80% of the little girl costumes out there. You know that I’m right there with you when it comes to letting little girl and little boys be kids for as long as you possibly can. Kids should be kids. They shouldn’t rely on their looks to get things. Did you see my FB rant the other day about KRON4 and their damned ads? To recap: We watch KRON4 in the morning after 9:00 because it’s the only local news on the air. Now I have another reason (other than their crap news coverage) to think they suck. Those stupid ass “Lipozene” ads they run every hour have my 3-year-old lifting her shirt, pointing to her belly and talking about “body fat.” Yeah. Thanks for this KRON4, you ad whores. Grrr…
The “whore child” Halloween costumes make me nuts. And witnessing how quickly ads seep into the brain of a little kid? Yeah. We’re trying to monitor what she sees even more closely than we have in the past. Drives me nuts. Little kids shouldn’t wear crocheted bikinis or bikini or thong underwear or have sexy sayings on their ass. Just let them be kids.
Jebus.
I want to slap the KRON4 people sometimes. Even more now that Kate’s talking about ‘body fat’ at 3. Also, if some cosmetic surgeon paid for on-air advertising with one of your reporters? IT’S NOT NEWS. Its an advertisement. Kills me.