Forget the nurse and Little Bo Beep costumes this Halloween the ‘Anna’ costume is all the rage, as in Anna Rexia.
The simple costume features a black bodysuit with a silk-screened skeleton and a measuring tape ribbon belt. Also included just to add a bit of extra controversy is a matching measuring tape choker, heart name tag and a bone headband.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association anorexia currently afflicts 10 million females and one million males and because of that fact the Anna Rexia Halloween costume has been pulled from several retailers.
For stores willing to sell the Anna Rexia outfit they’ve been a gold mine, flying off the shelves faster than they can be ordered.
Oddly enough the outfits manufacturer Dreamgirl actually discontinued the outfit several years ago.
Dreamgirl’s director of marketing, Alicia Brockwell, told CNN
“We understand that some people will not find the dark humor funny,” said Brockwell. “Or that they are sensitive to the topic it addresses. We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and would never want to cause harm to anyone. Dreamgirl is a company run by women for women. Halloween is an eccentric and irreverent holiday for people to express themselves in a myriad of ways. While some people may not like a particular costume – it is a matter of taste and personal discretion.”
Do you think the Anna Rexia costume sends the wrong message about anorexia or does it highlight a serious problem by framing it in such a drastic way?
