What happens when you combine the presidential election with Halloween? A terrifying amount of costumes of the presidential candidates.
In this week's Retail Therapy, we have Home Depot selling a questionable Halloween decoration, Rihanna launching an unlikely sportswear line, and a new way of polling the presidential race: retail sales of Trump and Clinton costumes.
Donald Trump’s popularity soars among Halloween costumes
But that doesn’t necessarily mean shoppers plan to vote for Donald. A survey by Spirit Halloween released this week found 32% of people who plan to dress up as Trump will do it as a joke, compared to the 16% that plan to mock Clinton with a costume.
Spirit Halloween, one of the biggest Halloween retailers, said it will use sales of Trump and Clinton masks to gauge which candidate will win the White House. Mask options include Tax Evasion Drumpf, Cry Baby Drumpf, Tricky Trump, Crackling Clinton and HBIC Clinton. And if that doesn't work, the retailer is also launching a “Roll Poll,” in which it will try to predict the election by seeing which sells more: toilet paper with Trump's face or Clinton’s.
For some, the idea of trick-or-treating alongside a Trump look-alike is just terrifying. Just ask this kid:
Home Depot pulls peeping Tom decoration
Speaking of Halloween, some retailers are already getting into hot water for selling off-color Halloween pranks. Canadian shoppers complained earlier this week that the retailer was making light of sexual violence by selling a plastic object resembling a peeping Tom, which sticks to a window and peers into a home to frighten residents.
Home Depot responded to the criticism by pulling the product from its 182 Canadian stores, specifically because it reminded customers too much of an infamous Canadian serial killer from the 80s, The Washington Post reported.
Home Depot spokeswoman Emily DiCarlo apologized on behalf of the retailer to customers: “We agree that this is not in line with our core values, and when we heard, took immediate action and are currently in the process of removing this product from our assortment."
As of this morning, you could still buy the product online in the U.S., as well as other variations on the theme, such as the Tapping Creeper or the more traditional Scary Peeper Reaper.
Rihanna's latest collection with Puma
Here's how music and fashion icon Rihanna described her latest collection (FentyXPuma) with the athletic apparel retailer to New York Times fashion critic Vanessa Friedman: “If Marie Antoinette was going to the gym and needed something to wear."
The brand may be taking a cue from Under Armour, which recently unveiled its first designer athleisure line at New York Fashion week earlier this month. The collaboration with Rihanna bodes well for Puma: The retailer reportedly made $975 million earlier this year from Rihanna-designed sneakers.
The new line is, of course, high class, but we're not really sure how you sweat... lift weights... run... or really do anything actually sport-like in these outfits. Take a look:
Marc Jacobs' dog wrote a book, and it's probably amazing
The fashion designer, who most recently came under fire for controversially having models wear rainbow dreadlocks at New York Fashion Week, was outshined this week by his very own pet, the bull terrier Neville Jacobs: The pup's hardcover 248-page photo book, titled "Neville Jacobs: I'm Marc's Dog," launched Tuesday on Amazon.
Neville, one of the many Instagram-famous celebrity dogs, boasts over 195,000 followers on Instagram (although that pales in comparison to his owner's 600,000 followers). In celebration of his first creative endeavor, here are three of Neville's favorite activities in gif form.
1. Dancing
2. Trying to catch treats (it's OK, you can't catch 'em all)
3. Eating peanut butter
