From racist outfits to sexualising child characters: Halloween costumes to avoid in 2017

Halloween is around the corner and with less than 15 days to go, you should narrow down on your outfit ASAP. Some people like to keep it simple and classic, just going for the spookiness, while some are on the radical side.

For some, Halloween costumes are all about making a statement. Gone are the days of the sexy kitten or buff superhero. There's a mix and match, and crossover between characters and everything that screams pop culture and millennial aesthetic infused together.

Also read: The 13th day of October falls on a Friday; spook yourself further with these facts!

But with great improvisation comes the great responsibility... to not taking things too far. And by too far, we mean costumes that are just plain offensive. From sexualising hobos to cultural appropriation, here are 10 costumes you absolutely SHOULD AVOID to stay politically correct this Halloween.

1. Anne Frank – This costume of Anne Frank, a German-born Jewish Holocaust victim, was put up on multiple websites, including Amazon, and was a girl-sized outfit. It soon received immense backlash where people pointed out how ridiculous the idea was to even consider it as a joke. The organisation had labelled it as the"Girls World Evacuee Costume," — a combination of a beret, dress, and satchel similar to what Frank wore. After getting blasted by multiple people online, e-tail stores such as eBay, Walmart and even Amazon pulled it from the sale.

2. Kim Kardashian: robbery victim kit – Everything that happens with the Kardashians is big news and while most of their first world elite problems are ridiculous. Kim Kardashians traumatising Paris robbery incident was never a joke. And should never be turned into an outfit idea. In fact, just last year post the incident, Costumeish.com started selling a "Parisian Heist Robbery Victim Kit" for $69.99 so that people could dress up as Kim Kardashian, "the robbery victim". Just one word: NO.

3. The Wall – Serious issues faced by a minority should never be turned into a commodity for anything at all. Which is why when Party City released this costume, there was such a wild uproar. Granted it could be just a reference to Pink Floyd's album, but most people saw Trump's threats against Mexico in this costume idea. "This isn't about being politically correct, it's about being decent [sic] human beings!!!!!" said a user on Twitter.

4. Inflatable Fat ballerina – The easiest way to make a costume funny looking is by making the character fat. And while multiple celebrities have donned fat-bodysuits to adapt into characters, this item from Target seemed like a direct jab at body shaming bigger sized people.

5. Sl**ty hobo – Costumes for women are always skimpier and way more revealing than their male counterparts. While a Superman costume might have just the underpants on top, for Supergirl, it would be no pants at all. This is why it doesn't come as a surprise that even as homeless people, women are supposed to be sexualised. Humour based on a homeless person? Seriously?

6. Arab Sheikh costume - Apart from constantly stereotyping Middle Eastern people, this costume also throws them in the negative light of violence. Armed with a sword, it not only racist but unwarranted too. 

7. Pocahontas with Headdresses – Celebrities love to obsess over headdresses; but, what they forget is that their fans are impressionable young people who think trivialising the culture of oppressed minorities is a joke and can be used to make "fashion" statements. The basic foundation of cultural appropriation is the habit of sporting something without acknowledging its historical relevance. This is exactly why "dreamcatcher Pocahotties" like this need to be cancelled.

8. Hitler and white supremacist references – It's 2017. If by now you don't know how to restrain yourself from triggering people using figures like Hitler for fun, then you need to sit back home this Halloween and contemplate on your outfit choices for the rest of the year.

9. Just no to any form of cultural appropriation – In a world full of Kardashian and Jenner appropriation, try swaying away from their style statements this Halloween. We're talking corn-rows, braids, grills and basically anything similar to their blatant appropriation of the African American community. Especially the blackface.

And while you're at it, say no to this extremely insensitive "Reality star in the Making" costume too, which hints at Kylie Jenner's rumoured pregnancy. Body shaming sexism and misogyny is a strict no-no.

10. Droopers – Seriously, what is it with the night of the dead being seen as an opportunity to objectify women and their body? Take a look at this costume. Not only are you mocking the women working for the implied Hooters, but also making jabs at their bodies. If not the costume, your Halloween should be cancelled.

Also, overly sexual versions of the patent costumes that the kids from the Netflix original series Stranger Things wear, should be avoided too.

Like this one. This is Eleven. She is a 12-year-old kid with an extreme fondness for Eggos. Stop. Sexualising. Her. Or any other child character from pop culture.

STOP SEXUALISING HER.

Or any other child character from pop culture.

Dress scary, dress funny. Have a happy, spooky Halloween!