'Handmaid's Tale' fans slam sexy 'maiden' costume
After backlash, online retailer Yandy pulls a sexy costume that references the hit Hulu show that talks about women’s oppression, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’
An online clothing company removed Friday a costume reminiscent of the outfit worn in the dystopian Hulu series “The Handmaid’s Tale” following social media backlash.
A picture of a model wearing the costume featured a red minidress paired with a red cape and a white bonnet. Yandy.com sold the costume that it described as the “Yandy Brave Red Maiden Costume.”
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“An upsetting dystopian future has emerged where women no longer have a say,” the description read.
“However, we say be bold and speak your mind in this exclusive Brave Red Maiden costume featuring a red minidress, a matching cloak with an attached hood and a white bonnet headpiece,” the description stated.
The costume could have been yours for $64.95 before it was pulled from the site.
The removal of the costume from sale follows social media backlash from users slamming the idea of sexualizing the garb female characters were forced to wear on “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
The series follows a woman, Offred, who is enslaved as a handmaid in the totalitarian society of Gilead. The job of a handmaid is to bear children, as the birth rate has been steadily declining. The handmaids are recognized by their long red dresses, white bonnets and red capes.
The costumes were likely modeled after the look of the garb from 'The Handmaid's Tale' TV series, which also inspired the look work by activists who protested Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh (above) outside the Hart Senate Office Building. (Getty Images)
The outfit has also been used as a symbol for protesting women’s rights. Recently, a number of demonstrators wore the outfit to protest President Trump’s Supreme Court pick Brett Kavanaugh.
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“Yes, this is what ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ was missing — more leg,” one critic wrote on social media.
“We’re now beyond satire. ‘Sexy’ ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ outfit. There’s nothing like fighting the patriarchy by sexualizing a show about misogyny and rape,” another person tweeted.
“Wait. Is this … sexy handmaid? This is so far from the point I can’t even,” someone else wrote.
Yandy.com released a statement to its Twitter page following the backlash.
“Over the last few hours, it has become obvious that our ‘Yandy Brave Red Maiden Costume’ is being seen as a symbol of women’s oppression, rather than an expression of women’s empowerment,” the statement read.
“This is unfortunate, as it 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. Given the sincere, heartfelt response, supported by numerous personal stories we’ve received, we are removing the costume from our website.”
This is not the first time the website has come under scrutiny for a sexy costume gone too far. Last year, the website was criticized for its sexy “Stranger Things” costume that depicted the character Eleven, as the actress who plays Eleven, Mille Bobby Brown, was 12 at the time of filming the popular Netflix series.
