--- title: People Are Really Angry About 'Sexy' Handmaid's Costume description: A "sexy" Halloween costume inspired by the dystopian novel and TV series the Handmaid’s Tale has been pulled from sale canonical: https://time.com/5402823/sexy-handmaids-tale-costume-apology/ author: Billy Perrigo article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-09-21T12:27:41.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:45:06.206Z og:title: People Got So Mad About This 'Sexy' Handmaid's Tale Costume That the Company Is No Longer Selling It og:description: "This is so far from the point" og:url: https://time.com/5402823/sexy-handmaids-tale-costume-apology/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbc03f2f2fcf079ef/69893ace096a94184b6a381a/gettyimages-1026695964.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4548 og:image:height: 2558 og:image:alt: Brett Kavanaugh og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: People Got So Mad About This 'Sexy' Handmaid's Tale Costume That the Company Is No Longer Selling It twitter:description: "This is so far from the point" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltbc03f2f2fcf079ef/69893ace096a94184b6a381a/gettyimages-1026695964.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # People Got So Mad About This 'Sexy' _Handmaid's Tale_ Costume That the Company Is No Longer Selling It > Sponsored content. 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Terms and conditions apply. * Savings buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Savings Account. * No ATM fees from Ally Bank at Allpoint and Moneypass ATMs plus we reimburse for fees charged by other ATM owners nationwide up to $10 per statement cycle. * Early direct deposit offers eligible direct deposits up to two days sooner. * Spending buckets are a feature of Ally Bank's Spending Account. ## Video: Elisabeth Moss and Margaret Atwood on the Urgency of The Handmaid's Tale [Watch (HLS stream): Elisabeth Moss and Margaret Atwood on the Urgency of The Handmaid's Tale](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KQNiWmZW.m3u8) (2:39)  _Published 2017-08-31. The Handmaid's Tale book landed back on bestseller lists and the TV show has been called 'prescient' by critics and fans in 2017._  by [Billy Perrigo](https://time.com/author/billy-perrigo/)  ## Billy Perrigo Correspondent Sep 21, 2018 12:27 PM UTC  SEPT. 4: One of a dozen protesters dressed in The Handmaid's Tale costumes walks in a circle in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building during the confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh SEPT. 4: One of a dozen protesters dressed in The Handmaid's Tale costumes walks in a circle in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building during the confirmation hearing of Brett Kavanaugh Bill Clark—CQ-Roll Call,Inc.  by [Billy Perrigo](https://time.com/author/billy-perrigo/)  ## Billy Perrigo Correspondent Sep 21, 2018 12:27 PM UTC A “sexy” Halloween costume inspired by the dystopian novel and TV series [The Handmaid’s Tale](http://time.com/5275496/snl-handmaids-tale-sex-and-the-city/) is no longer being sold after receiving a barrage of online criticism for sexualizing the show’s subject matter — women subjugated by an oppressive government. The online retailer Yandy, which designed and sold the costume, issued an apology Thursday following the backlash. “Over the last few hours, it has become obvious that \[the costume\] is being seen as a symbol of women’s oppression, rather than empowerment,” the company wrote in a statement shared on Twitter. > [](https://twitter.com/Yandy/status/1042993014421913602) “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,” the statement continued. “Given the sincere, heartfelt response, supported by numerous personal stories we’ve received, we are removing the costume from our site.” Before being taken down, the costume’s product description read: “An upsetting dystopian future has emerged where women no longer have a say. However, we say be bold and speak your mind in this exclusive Brave Red Maiden costume featuring a red mini dress, a matching cloak with an attached hood, and a white bonnet headpiece.” In the Handmaid’s Tale, women have had their rights eroded by an [authoritarian government](http://time.com/collection-post/4925657/margaret-atwood-and-elisabeth-moss/), which forces them to bear children and effectively act as slaves. The main character describes herself as a “two-legged womb.” Many Twitter users quickly pointed out the costume was problematic given the show’s subject matter. “This is so far from the point,” one wrote. > [](https://twitter.com/%5Fnoncompliant%5F/status/1042869088270397443) “Our society doesn’t take the rape of real women seriously, why should they take the rape of fictional women seriously?” another person tweeted. > [](https://twitter.com/SeriousMolly/status/1042922126670348288) Dressing up in the handmaid’s signature red capes has become a symbol of women’s resistance in the real world in recent months. Earlier this month, dozens of women donned the crimson capes and protested at Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearing. > [](https://twitter.com/LauraLitvan/status/1036962277486940161) This is far from the first controversial Halloween costume that has forced a company to roll back its product. In 2016, Disney stopped selling a [controversial Moana costume](http://time.com/4505299/disney-pulls-moana-costume/) after people said its brown skin was racist. ## Transcript [00:00] [ BLANK_AUDIO ] [00:06] [ MUSIC ] [00:12] I'm curious what you think Ultimately the book is about [00:15] for you? I think it's about a totalitarian society in [00:19] America the way it would likely be. [ LAUGH ] Yeah, [00:24] that's pretty good. Except maybe without the output. [00:28] [ MUSIC ] [00:31] A lot of the work that I do Tends to be these sort of [00:34] strong, complicated women. And I often get [00:38] asked by interviewers, do you gravitate towards quote, [00:42] unquote, feminist roles? Which is a question I sort of [00:46] almost struggle to answer. Feminism, when [00:51] we use that word, I always like to know What do you [00:55] mean by it? What are we talking about? Yes. So if the [00:58] person can describe what they mean by the word, [01:01] because there are this many different meanings, than [01:04] we can talk about whether I am one of those or not. I'm [01:06] gonna use that actually because I find myself [01:08] sometimes getting slightly tripped up because I am a [01:12] feminist. Because you don't know what they mean as in [01:12] so far as- Yeah, and I am ashamed of it. Insofar as [01:16] I believe in human rights- And women are human. And [01:18] women are human, but that's not the only thing about [01:22] it. That's not why I love it, [01:26] that's not why I did it, so I'm like, well, yes and no, [01:28] really. You girls will serve the leaders and [01:33] their barren wives You will bear children for them. [01:37] You told me everything in the Handmaid's Tale had [01:41] happened. Somewhere at some time. I made nothing [01:46] up. Now in our time where our climate [01:51] is what it is in America and in the world Do you still [01:55] feel the same about that statement? Or do you feel any [01:58] different? Even more so. Even more so, yeah. Even [01:59] more so, absolutely. Yeah. So when I first published [02:03] that book, at the outset, some people were saying how [02:07] could you suggest that we would ever do such a thing? [02:11] That this would ever happen, right. Yeah, so I don't [02:12] hear that much anymore either. [ MUSIC ] [02:19] Do you feel like there is one thing that the average [02:21] women or average person can do to [02:25] sort of prevent- Well, they might vote, just to begin [02:30] with. That would help, wouldn't it? Voting helps. [02:33] [ LAUGH ] Yeah. 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