The Kardashians Say They Weren't Paid For Their Brand Official Victoria's Secret Halloween Costumes

On ye olde Hallow’s Eve, the Kardashians chose to dress as something truly terrifying. No, they were not witches, or devils, or ghouls; they dressed up as Victoria’s Secret Angels. *Screams*

Apparently not only were they Angels, Kim Kardashian posted on Instagram, they were also wearing brand official Angel outfits, as seen on the runway. That’s not exactly surprising given that they’re the Kardashians and Kendall Jenner is a literal Victoria’s Secret Angel, but it did make me wonder…this has to be sponsored, right?

The Hollywood Reporter dug a little deeper and a representative for the Kardashians told them that it “was not a paid sponsorship. The girls did it just for fun.” But then THR points out that a press release put out by Victoria’s Secret suggests this is maybe a, if not paid, more official arrangement than the Kardashians let on. “The sisters are clad in wings from the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show runway, and Kylie can be seen in the bodysuit Candace Swanepoel wore during the 2015 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show,” the release read in part, and then linked to all the merchandise the family is wearing in their Instagram posts.

Kim and Kendall both thanked Victoria’s Secret in their posts of the night, which suggests they borrowed the wings and is a valid disclosure under FTC rules, and you have to disclose that you borrowed it. “The FTC’s Endorsement Guides provide that if there is a ‘material connection’ between an endorser and an advertiser – in other words, a connection that might affect the weight or credibility that consumers give the endorsement – that connection should be clearly and conspicuously disclosed, unless it is already clear from the context of the communication,” FTC rules.

But Julie Zerbo of The Fashion Law tells THR that the problem comes with Kim Kardashians’ Insta story, in which she does not disclose the borrowing. “There is always a chance someone just saw her IG story and not the IG post,” she says. The Kardashians don’t have the best track record when it comes to disclosing ads on social media, that’s for sure. And while the Halloween post might not be a classic sponsored ad, in which the family gets paid for each post, but Victoria’s Secret definitely seems to be treating it like one. So congrats to VS on the free Kardashian-starring advertisement?