Each year October concludes with a spectacle of goblins, zombies, comic book heroes, sexy nurses and everything in between. For many, Halloween is the one time a year people can dress up in outrageous attire and become someone else.
Americans annually shell out major cash for costumes, candy and spooky decorations to celebrate this ghoulish holiday. In 2007 Americans spent $5 billion on the holiday, according to the National Retail Federation.
During the fall, people come in droves to seasonal Halloween stores to purchase expensive costumes, including at the Halloween Express, Mankato's costume shop in the River Hills Mall.
There are hundreds of varieties to choose from in this store alone: movie and television characters, villains of horror, super heroes and sexy fill-in-the blanks are all available for purchase. But some of these are purchased at large rates and are overused. Those will eventually appear in bulks downtown.
For men and children this year, Halloween Express employee Katherine Lindberg said the most popular costume choice has been The Joker, Batman's main villain in the summer blockbuster "The Dark Knight."
"Everyone wants to be The Joker," said Lindberg, a Minnesota State chemistry sophomore. "It's probably the Heath Ledger thing, but everything we've had of it is sold out."
Lindberg also said politician masks have proved popular this season.
"We had 30 or 40 of them at the beginning of the season and they're all pretty much gone now," she said.
Costumes Galore, an online store out of Mankato, said "Star Wars" costumes were high sellers this year, along with the Jack Sparrow, "Pirates of the Caribbean" ensemble for men.
For women, the skimpier, short skirt or dress costumes are always the biggest sellers. Lindberg said a brand called Leg Avenue always releases Halloween Express' most popular women's costumes for the year. The sexy versions of nearly every costume imaginable are offered through the brand, with costumes of "The Wizard of Oz" and "Alice and Wonderland" characters, comic-book heroes, nurses, witches, athletes and even a sexy Freddy Krueger, the notorious nightmare villain.
"Some of the costumes are kind of weird, like the sexy Freddy Krueger," Lindberg said. "It's like the famous shirt, but it's a mini skirt sliced in places that are nice looking on women. It doesn't have any of the scars on the face and a long glove with three blades on it."
Although certain costumes may be particularly large sellers this year, it could be a good idea to stray away from all expected, overused costumes. For women, sexualizing anything can be a bland, expected approach to this creative opportunity, especially if the plan is to dress up as a nurse, school girl, police officer or any other concept that has been thoroughly overdone.
The Leg Avenue and other store-bought variations of these costumes are obviously overpriced, and if someone has already made plans to dress up as these or other common ideas, it might be a good idea to tweak them. Halloween is nearly here, but if you haven't already spent big money on a costume, it isn't necessary to do so.
For those who are on a budget or just don't care to spend that much on a costume, there are many other creative outlets. Instead of worrying about who will appear at the same bar, party or other event with the exact costume as yours, getting creative and witty with a costume can be simple. Think broadly, as any non-traditional, unexpected item or even slogan can be transformed into a costume. Or, pick a person, place or thing and dig through clothes you own or rummage through a thrift store and piece together some items to make it work.
The traditional faces of Halloween - witches, zombies, vampires, devils and the like - shouldn't be forgotten, and although many packaged, overpriced varieties exist, these costumes are also easy to replicate and get creative with. With the purchase of simple accessories such as teeth, horns, makeup or a hat, and by putting together articles of clothing, these costumes and many other ghoulish, scary choices can be easily tailored and transformed into a unique option. Incorporating individual style with over-the-top makeup or hair, or maybe even a wig, can also add unique flair to the ensemble.
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