Sexy Olaf? Re-vamping vampy Disney costumes for adults and kids

The hit film 'Frozen' has inspired the latest round of hyper-sexualized Halloween costumes, but parents can find resources for women and girl costumes online that don't involve fishnet tights or super short skirts.

Adult-themed costumes from the animated hit “Frozen” have been released, and the “sexy” costumes portraying the animated characters – including Olaf the Snowman – are as creative as they are appropriate – which is to say, they fail on both counts.

Can costume designers be blamed for jumping on the “Frozen” bandwagon? The hyper-sexualized costumes, like the original innocent Disney film, are heavily marketable, and Yandy.com, the web site offering the “Frozen” line, asks from $40 to $200 per costume. A recent CNBC report says that the sexy Olaf costume has already sold out.

According to a July 2014 study conducted by the National Retail Federation, and published on StatisticBrain.com, Americans spend $1.21 billion on Halloween adult costumes, with witches, pirates, vampires, batman, cats, and vixens rounding off the top six most popular choices. 

How can parents find fun and appropriate costumes to be models for their kids, when their kid’s favorite animated heroes and professions are turned into vampy adult costumes just in time for Halloween?

The website TakeBackHalloween.org is a costume guide for women of all shapes, sizes, and budgets. Its founder Suzanne Scoggins, a writer specializing in women’s history, told Today.com, “It’s about bringing fun and diversity back into Halloween. Sexy costumes for women went from being an option to a requirement.” 

Women can choose costumes from categories featuring Glamour Girls, Goddesses, Legends, Notable Women, and Queen – and perhaps deliver a history lesson along with candy on Halloween. Each costume idea features a detailed description of the historic heroin's accomplishments and how to depict her look accurately. 

Each one has links to affordable ways to purchase the items needed on external websites, options for making it at home (no sewing required), as well as some pricier buys for those interested in making their costumes extra accurate and special. 

Some standout costume ideas are Frida Kahlo, Joan of Arc, Marie Curie, Sojourner Truth, Mae West, Isis (the Egyptian goddess, not the Islamic militants), Jezebel, and Queen Victoria. This website might also come in handy anytime kids need to dress up for a book report or play – the historical and costume information is easy to navigate. 

For younger girls who might prefer watch “Frozen” than have mom dress as a sexy Olaf, another an excellent resource is A Mighty Girl’s Girl Empowerment Costume Guide. Costume recommendations are sorted into age categories, so parents are guaranteed to find options that are age-appropriate for their babies all the way up to teenagers. There’s also an adult section. Users can view costumes by categories such as historical, occupations, humorous, and book/tv/movie. 

Links to purchase costumes on Amazon can be found on the site, and each purchase benefits A Mighty Girl, a resource site that offers suggestions for books, music, movies, and games that empower girls.

Bringing women’s empowerment back to the table when considering costumes doesn’t have to take the fun out of Halloween – but it can make costuming more creative and turn Halloween into a fun teachable moment for kids and parents alike.