Obscene Halloween costumes?

[kathianne]

Ok, perhaps the word obscene is a bit too harsh, but today I went shopping with my 12-year old daughter for Halloween costumes, I was shocked and appalled at the selections. She wanted to be something gothic, she said something dead, well..........ok, whatever happened to my little princess? But that's ok. But she wanted something called Dead Cheerleader or Dead Fairy, or something like that. She tried it on then asked me to help her fasten it, I was shocked, she looked like a tramp! The skirt was almost up her you-know-where, and the top was bare arms, low-cut and just straps, she looked like a Las Vegas Show girl! I wouldn't let her out of the fitting room like that!

I suggested we look for something else, well, just about all the costumes for her age, marketed towards teens, is all those skimpy little skirts, just go up two stairs and she's giving a show--they look like something from a grade B soft core porn, I'm not kidding!

I suggested we just try to make a costume, she wants to be Bride of Frankenstein, perhaps we could find an old wedding gown at Goodwill and work with that, but she wants something black, well, maybe we can find a black gown.............at least something rated PG!

She was a vampire last year, a long black dress and wig, and she looked good, but now she wants one of those skimpy little costumes because that's all she sees, its disgusting how they market that stuff towards young girls.

Any suggestions for websites with decent costumes?

 

[luvmy3]

Oh I so know what you mean. My dd picked out a pirate costume (the only thing pirate about it is its name) It comes with a short sleevless dress witha little lace up chest, fishnet stockings and fishnet gloves. She has already been told that she WILL NOT be allowed to wear anything fishnet and she'll have to wear leggings and a shirt under the dress.
I saw many costumes for her age group that are just as bad

 

[jellybeans0607]

I also have a dead cheerleader.
My daughter is 8 and i'm not buying the one at the store. I made the outfit(cheer outfits are fairly easy) and then i'll just dirty it up and make her look dead.

I won't be letting my daughter wear the ones bought in the mall, unless it is appropriate. I have no problem being that mom.

I really have no advice except to have her find something appropriate.

 

[IheartEdward]

It's the same for adults. Just because I'm thin doesn't mean I want to look like a slut. It's getting out of control.

 

[kathianne]

It's the same for adults. Just because I'm thin doesn't mean I want to look like a slut. It's getting out of control.

Yes, I noticed the adult costumes are along the same line, they do look like "sluts".

The problem is, my daughter insists "all her friends" are wearing those type of costumes, well, I don't care if their mothers let them go looking like a streetwalker, not my daughter! But I truly think she's misintrepreting some things other girls have said, for example, they might have said "bride of Frankenstein" but there's many costumes that have that title, some are skimpy little things like what she saw on Party City, others are completely different, like an old, torn wedding gown. I don't want her to misunderstand what's going on, but regardless, she's not going like that!

She's mad at me, wants the costume like "everyone else' wears, but I don't care who else wears it, that's not for her!

 

[natnelliesmom]

Check out www.anniescostumes.com
They have some great non-slutty alternatives to the popular costumes. Short, but not too short, skirts etc.
My DDs are still young- but I dread the day I have to fight this battle! I have no problem putting my foot down- I just know it isn't going to be fun.
-Sarah

 

[kathianne]

Thanks for the website, but they all look similar--trashy! How I wish she could still fit into the Disney princess costumes! Those days are gone, my little princess is growing up!

Well, she wants something more spohiscated, I understand. I will help her work on an appropriate costume that is too both of ours liking!

 

[jellybeans0607]

Is she into those twilight books? My 12 yo sil is in love with them and is going as one of the characters. Not trashy at all.

 

[kathianne]

The more I look the more disgusted I get!

when did Halloween turn into "dress your daughter up like a slut" night?

Was it always this way and we're just growing into it? When she was a child there were so many pretty selections, I never felt uncomfortable with any of the costumes, it was just a decision as to what she wanted to be, usually a Disney character. Now the costumes for her size range all seem to try to show as much skin as decent---don't they get cold dressed like that?

I'm no good at sewing or I'd make her a costume, perhaps I will try shopping thrift shops for something we can work up into a costume. I really think this is her last year for Halloween, trick or treat is for younger kids, anyways!

 

[Minnie_me]

It *is* a struggle! My 8-year old wants to be a vampire, and she keeps choosing these VAMP-ish costumes - ICK.

My 11-year old is going as Elizabeth from POTC, when she dressed as a pirate. It's a really cute, non-slutty outfit!

 

[sl_underwood]

You can tell her that not all teenage girls are into looking like that. My 15 yo dd will be going to a costume party as a victorian princess (a friend sewed her costume) and her sis age 11 will be going as Elizabeth Swann (bought from the disney store).
From my teenage dd to yours-
I know how hard it is to feel like you have to fit in but its much better to know to be confident in yourself enough to be unique. If you have to act like someone you arent to fit in, find new friends who will like you without being fake.

 

[java]

I agree. The only one we could find last year that I would let her get was a bat. It had a low cut top but I just made her wear a tank under it.

I was walking around thinking let's just call them stripper outfits instead of halloween costumes.
This year I think I'm going to have to make it. She wants to be something dead. She wanted dead prom queen. That might work. Or Dead fairy(tinkerbell to be exact- where oh where did I go wrong??)

But at least they are not slutastic costumes.
Good luck.
This year I was begging her to be a hilarious Marie Antoinette- with full wig. She didn't find it funny.

 

[luvmy3]

It *is* a struggle! My 8-year old wants to be a vampire, and she keeps choosing these VAMP-ish costumes - ICK.

My 11-year old is going as Elizabeth from POTC, when she dressed as a pirate. It's a really cute, non-slutty outfit!

Thats the costume I was trying so very hard to get dd to wear. I thought it was so cute, a perfect female pirate She just didn't like it as much as theo ther one she picked. I did let her get the trampy one, but I will de-trampify it so I'm not worried.

 

[mjrich73]

This is what my 9 yr old dd is going to be...she too is into the darker side of Halloween She is going to be Gothic Raggedy Ann. I actually think it's kind of cute!

http://www.amazon.com/Childs-Goth-A...r_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1223957164&sr=8-1

 

[kathianne]

This is what my 9 yr old dd is going to be...she too is into the darker side of Halloween She is going to be Gothic Raggedy Ann. I actually think it's kind of cute!

http://www.amazon.com/Childs-Goth-A...r_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1223957164&sr=8-1

That's cute! Unfortunately its too small for my daughter. she needs the teen size, that's where you run into the trashy coustumes.

 

[kathianne]

Here's something I found she might like!

http://www.halloweenexpress.com/zom...upabum1ju4i7&gclid=CNq8-qj8pZYCFQJ-xgod-0AB6g

Its "dead" enough, and actually covers essential body parts!

Seems most of those costumes forget certain parts, like a top, material beyond the crotch line, etc!

 

[SILLYANDI]

I agree...DD10 wants to be some Sponge Bob Slut Pants thing she saw in a store ad...NO WAY! I can't believe the stuff they are making these days. I'd rather go back to the vinyl jumpsuits and plastic masks (with elastic that always broke and eye hoels no where near your eyes!) than let my kids wear these outfits.

We are making all of our costumes (yes even Hannah Montana-store version is too trashy!)

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I took DD13 costume shopping the other week, and it was just as you described. Poor kid, she's in 8th grade, but, err, slow to develop. Not that we see this as a bad thing, but I think she feels like the only girl in the 8th grade who hasn't gotten her period yet. She's small and flat-chested (mostly). Anyway, she's a dancer, and she wanted to be a French maid. Until she saw the costumes! Luckily, she has fairly conservative tastes, so she said "No way!" faster than I did. I couldn't convince her to look in the kiddie section. They did have a teen section, but they were fairly skimpy, then the adults--yikes!

She ended up finding a Cleopatra costume at Target that she liked. I would have been happy to make her something, but she was so ambivalent, I was concerned I'd start, then she'd change her mind.

FWIW, I think part of the problem is that trick-or-treating is less in vogue than it once was. It just seems like so many costumes are designs you wouldn't want to wear outside on a fall night. Fine for a party, or mall ToT, but not outside.

 

[Jenroc]

I guess I can consider myself lucky - living in SWOntario, Canada means that chances are Halloween night is going to be fairly cool if not down right cold and my kids have no choice other than to wear something that covers all of their "essentials". I do dread the day when they start going to parties instead of trick or treating !
This is a sad Halloween for me this year .... the first time in 13 years neither of my children will be wearing a Disney character costume. To remedy that for next year, I am taking them to WDW for Halloween again !!! lol

 

[kathianne]

Well we found the perfect costume!!!

We went shopping at a local thrift store and found stuff to make her a dead prom queen. We found a perfect black prom dress, just the right thing, long, simple, spaghetti straps but covers the "essential" area. Then we found a gauzy type black nylon cape/jacket thing that just goes perfect. she also found some black glitter shoes that not only look right, they're comfortable for walking. Now's here's the best part---total came to $25!!!!

We're going to have some fun with it! We also bought some fake blood and will tear up the gown and pour fake blood on it. Also I will make her a sash, probably go to Michaels and get some pink ribbon and write on it Prom Queen, then get it dirty, the whole idea is to look like a prom queen who dies and comes back to haunt everyone on Halloween.

Some make up, but I'm leary of the Halloween makeup they sell, I've read it can damage skin and cuase reactions, so we will just make our own with flour, cornstarch, etc, and bright red lipstick, black nailpolish, tease he hair and put twigs in it to look like from the grave, she will look creepy, not trashy!

I spent all night reaseaching costumes trying to find something like she wanted that was decent, I was willing to pay more for it, the whole idea was to get something she likes but also appropriate. I did find some things but was afraid to order then find they didn't fit.

So we had a great day shopping at thrift stores, and also supported a local charity!