Would you let your teen daughter dress like this for Halloween?

[TurboKitty]

So you just give in and let them parent themselves instead of parent them? That seems like weak parenting.

Whoohoo, I get accused of weak parental skills because I'd let my hypothetical teenaged daughter wear a Halloween costume. Ain't the DIS grand? BTW, if my daughter ever verbally ASKED me to wear any costume, I'd let her. Probably out of shock.

My job as a parent is to help my child navigate their way into adulthood, which includes having enough trust and faith in my child to let them make their own mistakes. I am trying to raise my pre-teen son not to see the costumes as an invitation for lechery (or more). Gosh, whatever happens to teen boys at the public pool or beach?

 

[va32h]

I wouldn't want my teenage daughters wearing those costumes as pictured. The fishnet stockings, thigh-highs, and stillettos are a bit much.

However, given the state of children's clothing today, I already have plenty of experience in "modifying" clothes to make them more appropriate. I am sure I could do the same with these outfits.

 

[my4kids]

I don't like it - It wasn't too long ago that the only place you could buy outfits like that was at the bad little stores on the bad side of town. Then you started seeing them on adult women in halloween shops, around the last 2 years you started seeing them on the teen models for halloween costumes and most disturbingly, they are now showing the same type outfits for little girls age 6-10. They have them on the same same site the OP mentioned but I am too stupid to know how to copy a picture here. There is a devil one and a chamber maid one and a kitty cat one in particular.

Someone said that it is one day for pretend. I ask my daughter why would you want to pretend to be that kind of girl. Who are the woman you want to emulate? The sooner they start dressing like that (even if just for halloween) the sooner they start doing something else that is too provacative. Maybe I can't stop my daughter from doing what other girls do when she is out of my sight, but I am darn well not going to condone it letting her walk out of my house dressed like a wh@r%.

 

[WonderfulDreamer2]

I don't like it - It wasn't too long ago that the only place you could buy outfits like that was at the bad little stores on the bad side of town. Then you started seeing them on adult women in halloween shops, around the last 2 years you started seeing them on the teen models for halloween costumes and most disturbingly, they are now showing the same type outfits for little girls age 6-10. They have them on the same same site the OP mentioned but I am too stupid to know how to copy a picture here. There is a devil one and a chamber maid one and a kitty cat one in particular.

Someone said that it is one day for pretend. I ask my daughter why would you want to pretend to be that kind of girl. Who are the woman you want to emulate? The sooner they start dressing like that (even if just for halloween) the sooner they start doing something else that is too provacative. Maybe I can't stop my daughter from doing what other girls do when she is out of my sight, but I am darn well not going to condone it letting her walk out of my house dressed like a wh@r%.

 

[AKLRULZ]

Maybe I can't stop my daughter from doing what other girls do when she is out of my sight, but I am darn well not going to condone it letting her walk out of my house dressed like a wh@r%.

Amen!

 

[beck0321]

How old are we talking about? Like 13 might be too young, but those costumes would be falling off a 13 year old anyway because the "teen" size runs big and is too big for my 20yo cousin (she ordered the "teen witch" from buysotumes this year). Those costumes look worse in the pics than they do on (I think they make them look shorter than they really are). I ordered one similar to the red riding hood last year from buycostumes.com and it wasn't very revealing AT ALL! I have a big behind, and I wasn't showing my butt to the world or anything. It was actually very cute and wouldn't consider it "sexy," although I got a size too big so the TOP kept inching down, not something safety pins couldn't fix. Like I said, their sizes run BIG so if you order from buycostumes.com be aware of that.
I don't think 16,17,18 are too young for those costumes. The one with the middrift bothers me, but I've never been comfortable showing off that area, even when I was 17 and 100lbs. The others are really cute!

 

[April in Disney]

I think the question is will my daughter allow me to get dressed like that! She told me she will not be seen with me if I buy this dress so I can imagine what she would say to those.

 

[minkydog]

Those costumes belong in the bedroom of consenting adults!

My first thought was "Are these from Frederick's of Hollywood?" and my answer is, no, my 13yo will not be dressed as a little ho just because it's Halloween. You think perverts take the day off?

 

[Becky2005]

I voted no, but I guess I need to qualify. I think the costumes look so provocative because of the way the models are standing, and the accessories (ie thigh highs, less "push up"). I think is some of the costumes were "dressed down" a bit, I might let my girls wear them.

Denae

I agree with this BECAUSE we just went through it with my 12 year old!

She wanted to be a devil, I didn't like the costume she picked out. I told her she could have it as long as she was wearing a leotard/shirt underneath. She flat out had a tantrum.

We looked at the teen stuff & there was one that I was *iffy* as but told her we could try it. Once she tried it on, she actually looked kind of cute in the costume, completely different than what the model looked like (especially since she will be wearing gym shoes with it!). AND you *have* to wear something underneath it so she is wearing a black t-shirt & shorts underneath (goofy girl, if she would have agreed to the black shirt she could have had her first choice anyway! ) The joys of an almost teen.

I was just shocked this actually fit her because she is very small for her age and they consider this TEEN...it's TINY unless it stretches or something, it fit her perfectly and she's only in the 10% for her age (I think she's about the average of an 8-10 year old since her brother & her are almost the same size).

 

[beck0321]

I think the question is will my daughter allow me to get dressed like that! She told me she will not be seen with me if I buy this dress so I can imagine what she would say to those.

What is the problem? That's CUTE costume! I mean it's the corpse bride, it's not some weird and unusual. I don't see how this costume is embrassing at all. I think you should go as it anyway!

Oh and BTW for everyone else. Those costume aren't made for THIRTEEN YEAR OLDS! I'm telling you, if the "teen" size is too big for a 20 year old 5'6" 135lb WOMAN, it's not going to fit a 13 year old! If anything it would look like the 13 year old was wearing a sack as a costume, it would be falling off. When they say TEEN they mean 17-ish. And those wouldn't look slutty on a 17 year old. They MAKE them look slutty in the pics, how they ACTUALLY look on is a totally different story!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I think the question is will my daughter allow me to get dressed like that! She told me she will not be seen with me if I buy this dress so I can imagine what she would say to those.

April - I love that!!!! I couldn't pull it off, but if you can - I say go for it!!! Maybe even add a pair of those cool black wings - awesome!

 

[NewJersey]

Whoohoo, I get accused of weak parental skills because I'd let my hypothetical teenaged daughter wear a Halloween costume. Ain't the DIS grand? BTW, if my daughter ever verbally ASKED me to wear any costume, I'd let her. Probably out of shock.

My job as a parent is to help my child navigate their way into adulthood, which includes having enough trust and faith in my child to let them make their own mistakes. I am trying to raise my pre-teen son not to see the costumes as an invitation for lechery (or more). Gosh, whatever happens to teen boys at the public pool or beach?

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I'll be ordering one for DW today

 

[smartestnumber5]

If I had a daughter I would. Depending on the situation and why she wanted to wear it I may or may not be happy to "let" her wear it. I say "let" because I don't intend to pay much attention to what she chooses to wear when she's an older teen (so long as she isn't asking me to pay for the clothes and she is wearing clothing of some sort). And I highly doubt I would ever try to forbid her from wearing something at that age unless it were obviously dangerous to her well-being (i.e. a shirt made of knives).

My parents were actually somewhat overprotective in certain ways, but by the time I was 16 I was paying for all my clothing and I don't think they even noticed what I was wearing most of the time. I'm pretty sure I wore things that were somewhat similar to these for costumes. Usually there was more coverage in the hips/legs area, but I've always had a large chest so I probably showed more on top in a average summer tank top than is being shown in most of those pictures. When I wear a shirt that is completely modest on someone else it's what we call a "b**b shirt" on me. I have to find shirts with really high neck lines to cover everything. Now that I happen to wear more unisex t-shirts and sweatshirts I happen to have more coverage. In high school though, I was a bit more girly and mostly bought clothes in the teen girls departments so many of my shirts accidentally produced cleavage. That's life.

I guess I don't understand the mentality of "I won't let my daughter dress like a wh*re." First, I would never actually use such a degrading word for women toward my own daughter (or any other woman for that matter). Second, is the idea supposed to be that by restricting their clothing you are actually keeping them from being a wh*re? (I mean, that would be silly. If she wants to wear clothes which are wh*rish according to your standards she must already be a wh*re, right?) Or is the idea that people will think bad things if she wheres those clothes? Is it that people will think bad things about you (i.e. "Bob is a bad parent; look at how he lets Jane dress.")? Or that they'll think bad things about your daugher (i.e. "She must have a lot of sex. She probably charges for it too.")? Or will they simply have feelings towards your daughter you don't like (i.e. the boys at school start thinking about her b**bs.) Or is that the boys at school--and maybe even older men like the guys at work--will start thinking about having sex with her?

I know I'm rambling, but I guess I don't see why any of this matters. People think badly of you or you daughter because of her Halloween costume--umm, that says something about their judgmentalness and shallowness. Why should their opinion matter? Boys thinking about your daughters b**bs or wanting to have sex with her? Please, like that wasn't happening anyway. Like your daughter isn't thinking about having sex with them too. Guys at work thinking about having sex with your daughter. Okay, I can see that as more of an issue--but the issue is "what the h*ll is wrong with your coworkers."

 

[MosMom]

I voted no, but I guess I need to qualify. I think the costumes look so provocative because of the way the models are standing, and the accessories (ie thigh highs, less "push up"). I think is some of the costumes were "dressed down" a bit, I might let my girls wear them.

Denae

I agree 100%

 

[smartestnumber5]

I am trying to raise my pre-teen son not to see the costumes as an invitation for lechery (or more). Gosh, whatever happens to teen boys at the public pool or beach?

thank you! Exactly. Why is the answer always "don't let Jane dress in a way that will entice the boys" rather than "teach Bobby that how a woman dresses is not a measure of her character or intelligence and is certainly not an invitation for sex"? And when was the last time anyone heard a teenage boy being told not to stop running around outside with his shirt off because the teenage girls next store might see and start thinking naughty thoughts?

 

[cats7494]

No - I would not let her wear one of the listed costumes. You can still dress up and have fun without showing so much skin. Besides we live in Iowa - she would absolutely freeze if she wore one of those costumes

 

[Chattyaholic]

I voted yes, but not for the reason on your poll.

I just don't see anything wrong with the costumes. And many teen age girls wear worse clothes than that, and not just as Halloween costumes.

 

[WIcruizer]

I guess I shouldn't be shocked, but I am. I must say some of you sound like politicians trying to qualify your reasons why dressing a teen girl in a French Maid costume is acceptable.

I imagine it could be the same parents who think it's acceptable for their teen girl to wear short shorts that say "juicy" on the butt. These girls are exposed to this crap more and more in mags, A&F and other retailers, and society in general. And we wonder why the pervs are coming out of the woodwork.

Nobody would ever claim your daughter is defined by what she wears. That's missing the point. Wearing fish net stockings with high heels...bare belly, etc. says "I want to look sexy." Why would you want your daughter to look sexy while trick or treating?

We can all qualify our statements by saying the costume could be modified or what if she's 18, etc. But just look at it on face value. A younger teen girl dressing as a sexy nurse or French Maid. Do any of you really believe that's appropriate?

 

[Hannathy]

This board amazes me on another thread they have a fit if a 12 yr old rides their bike around the block by themselves or stays overnight at a party where they haven't met every member of the extended family. and then they feel it is ok to let their 14 or 15 yr old wear these outfits. That makes a lot of sense keep the kid in a bubble till 13 then all bets are off go dress like your selling something and since you've never had to make any decisions on your own you will just instinctively know how to deal with the responses you'll get from these outfits.