Retail site Yandy.com on Thursday removed a sexy handmaid costume, inspired by The Handmaid’s Tale, following outcry on social media. 
 
 The Halloween costume, which referred to both the dystopian Margaret Atwood novel and Hulu series, was depicted as a bright red mini dress and cape with high heels. BuzzFeed News reported on the costume earlier Thursday, chronicling the Twitter responses that ranged from confusion to disgust. 
 
 Here’s part of the statement from Yandy: 
 
 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. 
 
 The red cloaks and white bonnets worn by handmaids (aka the fertile women in the fictional Gilead who are subjected to ritualized rape and forced pregnancy) in The Handmaid’s Tale have been adopted as symbols of feminism. Most recently, women wore outfits inspired by the narrative to protest the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. 
 
 But the “brave red maiden costume” was much more revealing. Here was Yandy’s original description of the costume: 
 
 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. 
 
 Some people on Twitter thought the execution of the costume was confusing, while many others found it completely appalling. 
 
 Wait. Is this…sexy handmaid? This is so far from the point I can't even. — Noncompliant (@_noncompliant_) September 20, 2018 
 
 capitalism wins again https://t.co/eYurdOvoUE — Alexandra DeSanctis (@xan_desanctis) September 20, 2018 
 
 Great moments in self-satire. https://t.co/Ug6tFCRXs2 — Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) September 20, 2018 
 
 WTF WHO THIUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA I JUST WANNA TALK https://t.co/DsHBarTujG — Kozmo (@kozmos92) September 21, 2018 
 
 Of course, some people made jokes. 
 
 When you have a protest at the Capitol at 4 and happy hour plans at 5. https://t.co/gOZ9IEMVio — Alyssa E. Hackbarth (@AlyssaEinDC) September 20, 2018 
 
 And still others had even found the silver lining. 
 
 is it wrong if i think the slutty handmaid's tale costume is accidentally brilliant and subversive despite that not being the intention behind it at all — sophie bee (@pogform) September 20, 2018 
 
 The retail site seems to be erring on the side caution. Yandy’s statement said: “Given the sincere, heartfelt response, supported by numerous personal stories we’ve received, we are removing the costume from our site.” 
 
 Luckily, there are still plenty of other sexy costumes to choose from. 
 
 H/T Jezebel ||||| Screenshot from Costumeish.com. (Costumeish) 
 
 UPDATE: After this story was published, Costumeish said it was pulling the ensemble depicting Kim Kardashian. 
 
 “Due to the extensive out-lash we have decided to remove the ‘Parisian Heist’ costume from our website,” the retailer wrote Wednesday on Twitter. “We are sorry if it offended anyone.” 
 
 ORIGINAL STORY: 
 
 Halloween: The one day of the year you can pretend to be a reporter’s tampon, the Clock Kid, the world’s most despised lion-hunting dentist — or, if you’re into that sort of thing, a bound-and-gagged Kim Kardashian in the very moment she was tied up and robbed at gunpoint in Paris as thieves took millions of dollars worth of jewelry. 
 
 Yup. 
 
 Costumeish, the Southern California-based costume retailer behind several heavily criticized ensembles of Halloweens past, has just released a “Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Costume Kit.” For $69.99, it includes a long black wig, white robe, sunglasses, a gag, a rope and a ring — which is “not worth $4 million dollars,” according to the description. 
 
 It does not mention the reality TV star by name; however, it does refer to “America’s goddess of all things glamorous” and “the Queen of Social media.” 
 
 That doesn’t mean Taylor Swift. 
 
 “She devoted her life to promoting American decadence, youth, and hedonism but all that flashy living caught up with her one night in Paris when armed men bound her, stole her jewelry and her peace of mind,” the Costumeish description says. “This Halloween have some fun with pop culture and dress just like the Queen of Social media with our sensational ‘Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Costume’ Costume.” 
 
 [Khloe Kardashian on ‘Ellen’: Kim is ‘not doing that well’ after Paris robbery] 
 
 Although the company’s website boasts several supportive reviews, including one that called it “the costume of the year,” the retailer’s attempt at keeping up with Kardashian has drawn intense criticism from some online reviewers, who have called it “a mockery” and have said it’s “promoting rape and anti-female culture.” 
 
 “Here is yet another example of people blaming women for being victims,” one person wrote on Costumeish.com. “Many men wear expensive watches, necklaces, etc. and robbing them is still considered a crime. Treat it as such. Having a gun put to your head by multiple men while you fear that they may rape you is traumatizing. I’m pretty sure that the poor human being can’t forget any second of the attack and here you are using her scarring events to make money. This is disgusting. It is not funny.” 
 
 [Kim Kardashian robbery: Here’s everything we know — and don’t know] 
 
 On social media, the company was scorned for trying to profit off Kardashian’s misfortune. 
 
 That Kim Kardashian Halloween costume is not right at all — Julia (@juliaritaxo) October 11, 2016 
 
 A Kim Kardashian themed Parisian robbery Halloween costume, quite possibly the most distasteful and awful thing I've seen today. #thatsnotok — Sophie (@ClassicOyster) October 11, 2016 
 
 Johnathon Weeks, vice president of Costumeish, told Buzzfeed News that he was upset that critics were not seeing the humor. 
 
 “I’m sad that people are offended by it, but it is Halloween. It’s one day out of the year,” he said. “Halloween should be a light-hearted, spirited party, and people should be able to laugh at it and think it’s funny. We haven’t sold any yet, if that matters.” 
 
 He added: “If people find it tasteless or they are offended by it, it’s Halloween. Maybe you should just shut your life out and not go outside.” 
 
 Let the transformation begin #BazaarIcons A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Jun 13, 2016 at 9:18am PDT 
 
 Last year, Weeks told Time that Costumeish uses search-engine data to determine which Halloween costume searches are popular with consumers, all the better to better tap into retail trends. At the time, the company had just introduced its “Lion Killer Dentist Halloween Costume,” which came with a bloody smock and gloves and a severed lion’s head, according to Time. 
 
 “Cecil was coming up, and just like with many of the other ones, like the Ebola or the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge costumes, we see the trend from users,” Weeks said. “Halloween is a really tricky day, and you see some of the costumes come about and it’s almost like desensitizing things.” 
 
 Weeks added that he did not intend to offend anyone. “I’m just here to keep things questionable,” he said. “We’re just in the very beginning of this Halloween season. There’s more to come.” 
 
 This year, Costumeish is selling several in-the-news get-ups — including a “Donald the Wall Builder Halloween Costume.” That one depicts Donald Trump in a red-brick suit, with an American flag. 
 
 Another Trump-themed costume portrays the Republican presidential candidate as a Mexican-style taco. 
 
 “… a taco truck on every corner in America!” the description states. 
 
 As word of the Kardashian costume spread, supporters said that creative mockery was exactly the point. 
 
 “Ordering this as we speak,” a reviewer wrote on Costumeish website. “Thank you for maximizing my schadenfreude this Halloween.” 
 
 “Finally something for all of us who are sick of having a certain family pushed forcefully down our throats,” another wrote. “Iconic.” 
 
 This story has been updated. 
 
 Read more: 
 
 Why are people mocking Kim Kardashian for being a victim of violent crime? 
 
 Kim Kardashian robbery in Paris is fueling French security concerns 
 
 How the NRA reacted to Kim Kardashian’s robbery
– Halloween costumes based on popular TV shows usually do well their first year out, but one new getup was nixed before the first pumpkin was carved. The Daily Dot reports Yandy.com, a retail site known for its sexy costumes, yanked one based on the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale after "confusion and disgust" was the main reaction to it online. The costume, labeled "Yandy Brave Red Maiden Costume" and listing for $64.95, consisted of a short red dress, matching red cape, and white bonnet. The sultry-looking blonde model sporting the costume wore black high heels. The accompanying description: "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." This all prompted an outcry on Twitter, namely because the concept behind the Hulu show, based on the Margaret Atwood novel, revolves around handmaidens who are raped and forced to carry pregnancies to term for elite families. Others tried to make light of it, noting that knockoffs of the handmaiden costumes are often worn at protests advocating for women's rights. And that seems to have been Yandy's original intent, at least according to a statement it put out after the pushback started. "It has become obvious that our … [costume] is being seen as a symbol of women's oppression, rather than an expression of women's empowerment," it said, adding that the costume has been pulled.