Halloween costumes are starting to hit store shelves across the Maritimes but some of the outfits are causing a stir.
Certain costumes aimed at young girls are being called overtly sexual and some people say they should be pulled from store shelves.
“What you see on TV and in the movies these days, it’s not much wonder they’re pitching this kind of crap to youngsters,” says Edward Leger.
“I feel sorry for children nowadays,” says Amanda Balestreri. “They’re being taught to value themselves through looks.”
Mandy DeGrace co-owns a costume shop in Moncton. She agrees that children’s costumes are becoming more and more sexual and says she tends to steer more towards family-oriented costumes in her shop.
“We’ve heard some parents come in and say ‘we went to this place and the costumes were a bit too provocative for children,” says DeGrace.
Concerns are also being raised about the message such costumes send, especially to young girls.
“It’s about the characters these kids can aspire to be,” says Beth Lyons, associate direction of the YWCA in Moncton. “Boys can aspire to be Luke Skywalker or a fireman. Girls can aspire to be women in distress, to be princesses.”
Lyons says the target demographic is changing and sometimes the marketing of the costume is worse than the costume itself.
“It’s trickling down to younger and younger girls,” she says. “They’re not hinting at it anymore but you’re seeing more, passion fairy wigs for young people.”
DeGrace says the problem will only go away when the demand for such costumes isn’t there.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jonathan MacInnis
