A woman dressed as a character from The Handmaid’s Tale participates in a protest against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and his views on abortion during his confirmation hearings this month.
Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images
Maybe they didn’t think this one through.
A “sexy” costume inspired by the book and Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale, in which fertile women are forced to bear children for those in power, has been pulled following online criticism.
Retailer Yandy had listed an outfit called “Brave Red Maiden Costume” for around $65. It included a short red dress and flowing cape, as well as a white bonnet.
Some people on Twitter weren’t impressed.
“WHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYY” one user tweeted.
“We’re now beyond satire,” another tweet read. “‘Sexy’ Handmaid’s Tale outfit. There’s nothing like fighting the patriarchy by sexualising a show about misogyny and rape.”
Yandy pulled the costume from its site and put out a statement on Twitter Thursday, which said, in part: “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. 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 site.”
The retailer also posted the statement on the page that once featured the costume.
The outfit from The Handmaid’s Tale has been used as a symbol of protest against the oppression of women. Earlier this month, activists wore the red cloaks and white bonnets during Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings to oppose his views on abortion.