Halloween costume trends range from fantasy to funky

 By MARY A. WILKIN

 Lima News correspondent
419-993-2072

LIMA - Wicked witch or fairy princess? Indiana Jones or Batman? Halloween costumes bring out the imagination in young and old alike. What other time of year can adults dress up with as much freedom as 6-year-olds?

"While some people do creative stuff," said Barb Lochner, owner of Once Upon a Fantasy, a costume shop in Elida. "costumes reflect what we see on TV. Girls want to be pretty and boys want to be powerful. And adults want to be sexy or silly."

Connie Hedges, owner of Ruth's Bridal and Costume Rental in Lima, thinks people want escape.

"I think they can be like a different person when they put on a costume. They don't have to have their own personality. They can re-enact someone else's personality," Hedges said. "Wehn you put a costume on, that just kind of puts you in another zone."

Speaking for the Toy Industry Association, a not-for-profit trade association headquartered in New York, N.Y., trend specialist Reyne Rice says, "celebrities, blockbuster movies, favorite TV shows and other pop culture and current events tap into the desires and aspirations of kids."

Which costumes will haunt the fashion parade this year?

Nationally, retailers are betting on super heroes and celebrities.

"Batman and Iron Man proved big winners during the summer blockbuster movie season and will be strong again when fall DVDs are released," Rice said.

She also predicts that characters from other top summer movies will be making the rounds, including Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda, Wall-E and Star Wars' Clone Wars characters.

As for celebrities, ‘tweens and teens are still mad about Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Camp Rock characters and the Jonas Brothers.

Locally the scene may look a little different, Lochner said.

"In this area we are several years behind the trends in New York or California. I gauge by what my customers are talking about and what parties have happened in the rest of the year, and of course, what movies are big, especially for kids."

She adds, "From the Halloween business I've had so far, this year seems to be a back-to-basics type of costumes. I think monsters are going to be the ‘it' costumes."

Hedges has been seeing a return to glamour, from flappers and gangsters to Southern belles.

Halloween has been growing in popularity as retailers expand their merchandise from costumes and candy to a wide range of home and outdoor decorations. A new survey by the National Retail Federation, completed Sept. 9, indicates that nearly 65 percent of consumers plan to celebrate Halloween in some way this year and estimates that $5.77 billion will be spent, including $2.10 billion on costumes.

In reaction to the current economic uncertainty, retailers expect consumers to take a break from the bad news for a little affordable fun.

So it's not surprising that retailers of all sorts have jumped on the Halloween bandwagon. Some national retailers like Spirit Halloween and Halloween USA, which now operates a location on the east side of town, open shop only during the pre-Halloween season. Other national retailers, including home improvement stores and drug stores, give over aisles of space to costumes, candy and decorations.

Not everyone opts for a mass-produced Halloween celebration. As Lochner points out, she sometimes gets requests for "morally acceptable" costumes - things like cowboys, firemen and soldiers as opposed to monsters and villains.

And for parents who want something their kids will wear long after Halloween, or a costume that is theirs alone, there is another alternative. Take a trip to the nearest fabric store for patterns and fabric.

Donna Martin at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts in Lima said people who can't find time to sew any other time of year will tackle Halloween costumes. With the pattern companies competing, sewers can find everything from wizards and witches to pirates, penguins and even historically accurate Marie Antoinette designs.

A seamstress, Martin remembers making costumes for her own children that were used for dress-up long after trick or treat was over. While retail costumes can come in all price ranges, home-sewn versions are not cheap. With pattern, fabric and notions, "you will spend $25 to $50," Martin said, depending on the types of fabrics and ornamentation.

For a contemporary costume, the right mask may be enough. With national elections following Halloween by only days, Lochner and Rice agree residents will see current candidates and past presidents showing up at their door.

"Older kids and teens may want to parody presidential candidates," Rice said.

Masks of the presidential candidates range from 99 cents for paper to $20 or more for a full-face rubber version.

Halloween costumes can be more than dress-up fun.

This year retailer Toys ‘R' Us and Disney have teamed up to offer a line of children's costumes that will benefit the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (www.CAAF4kids.org). The costumes include six Disney princesses, Prince Caspian from The Chronicles of Narnia, Tigger and Pooh infant costumes, and Disney's Tinker Bell.

Costumes are available online or at Toys ‘R' Us stores. Prices range from $20 to $40.

For children with special needs, Magical Apparel from Fun and Function LLC in Philadelphia offers costumes with learn-to-dress laces, zippers, buttons and snaps plus special interior pockets. Weights inserted in the pockets can have therapeutic benefits for children with sensory processing disorders, autism and other physical and behavioral challenges.

The costumes are available at www.funandfunction.com and range in price from $22 to $40. Weights cost from $20 to $22.