Dear Wet Seal...

What the hell are you thinking?
I just recently started reading Paco Underhill's, Call of the Mall, after reading his first book, Why We Buy and lovvvvvvvved it. In the book, he mentions how he visits the malls when he is bored and has nothing else to do, merely to observe and find new breakthroughs in the retail realm. Although I do not have the prestigious Retail Anthropologist title, I love takin' a stroll in the mall when I have nothing else better to do. YESssss, even when I'm broke as broke can be. Anywho, I decided to check out Wet Seal - which has always been a list topper for my frugal self. I know I came upon the same situation last year, but it really grabbed my attention this time. I'm sure many of you have noticed that they have been sucked into the pure slinkiness of Halloween. What I really found interesting was on Wet Seal's website - in regards to their target market:

Wet Seal - Our Concepts.
Wet Seal is the junior apparel brand for teenage girls that seek trend-focused and value competitive clothing with a target customer age of 13 to 19 years old. Wet Seal seeks to provide its customer base with a balance of affordably priced fashionable apparel and accessories. Wet Seal stores average approximately 3,900 square feet in size and in fiscal 2007 had average sales per square foot of $314.

Should a company that is using keywords like junior, teenage girls and 13 to 19 years old, be trying to sell Halloween costumes that look like this?

Although the very thin - underdeveloped-looking - models are covered pretty modestly over their chests, their premature, sexual poses are a bit concerning. Last year, I found myself working at a stupid Halloween costume shop, for $7 -freakin'- .25 an hour. WHAT was I thinking. Anyway, being in that environment, and being asked to wear these slutty, downgrading costumes made me feel like an object. We would be selling costumes, like these, to girls in middle school - which may have had something to do with why I walked out on one of my shifts. I simply do not agree with it. Sex already sells - the real question is - why are we marketing sex to 13 - 19 year olds? Another inspiration: what the hell am I going to be for Halloween? I heard as long as I show enough skin - anything goes. :/

http://www.wetseal.com/catalog/category.jsp?categoryId=199 - ATTENTION TEENAGERS - Visit the site for more deets, on how you can "Get the party started," and more importantly, get your 'slut' on.