Now There's a “Sexy” Dia de Los Muertos Costume, and Its Name is “Sugar Skull Beauty”


You know you've made it as an ethnic group in this country when not only is the public at large appropriating your holidays to transform them into bacchanals of booze and women, but when women start slutting up native costumes for Halloween. But still: it's one thing to dress as a spicy señorita, a bandito, or a Tapatio bottle, but quite another to dress up as a Dia de los Muertos skull. Um, huh? Besides the fact that there is no dress-up traditionally associated with the holiday–the closest approximation is people painting their faces as calaveras–dressing up as that for Halloween confuses pagan traditions and'll rile up more than a few Mexis.

But then to make it a “sexy” Dia de los Muertos costume, and have it for mass sale? Begin the DESMADRE…
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That's exactly what City of Industry-based Leg Avenue has trotted out for this Halloween season with one of their newest creations: “Sugar Skull Beauty”:



Oh, the semiotic fun Chicano Studies types will have with this! The fake marigolds! The unnecessary spider's web on the skull's forehead! The calavera trim on the mini-min-skirt! The lace, which tries to pass itself off as papel picado but is really just a continuation of the Spanish fantasy heritage! The heels!

You'll be able to find this costume at OC stores soon, if not already, and Leg Avenue is banking heavily on it to be a seller. In its most recent catalogue, the spicy dead beauty is given a two-page spread with her own altar and all:



Sacred culture for sale–ain't America GREAT?! Oh, and if you see a gal wearing this…ask her for her number haha. And keep her away from Mexican ladies…

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