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Solving the costume puzzle - Solving the costume puzzle |
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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Wednesday, 25 October 2006 |
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Page 1 of 4
 Emily Kirby, 19, of Fort Collins is stumped. She made a quick stop at a Halloween store in Fort Collins in search of the perfect costume.
“It’s pretty stressful,” she said. “I’m running out of time and money.”
From oversized and hilarious costumes to sexy and sassy get-ups, there are plenty to choose from. The superhero look is soaring and pirates are the main attraction.
Kirby said many of her friends already have their costumes; one will be Wonder Woman and others are going as Alice in Wonderland characters.
However, she is still looking.
 Pat Talley, owner of The Life of the Party in Fort Collins, said pirate costumes are really hot at the store’s new location, 119 E. Mountain Ave. The old store at 137 S. College Ave. is closing and has many accessory items marked for clearance.
Desirée Brothe, sales associate at the Halloween Bootique in the Greeley Mall, at 23rd Avenue and U.S. 34 Bypass, has also sold lots of pirate garb.
She said more people are buying complete costumes than they have in the past.
“When I was growing up, I made my own costumes or bought small things as supplements,” she said. “Not many people want to do that now. Buying is easier. America has become more about convenience.”
According to the National Retailer’s Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, which polled about 8,000 consumers, shoppers will spend $5 billion this Halloween, compared to $3.29 billion last year.
Rose Zimmerman, 52, of Fort Collins reuses costumes to cut costs. She has dressed as a dead bride in a white flowing gown, trimmed with black lace and spiders, for five years. This year she is torn between a sparkling witch costume or being a vampire.
“I’m a big kid,” she said. “It’s fun.”
She even dresses her dog up in a cape and cap and sets big toy spiders beside him. Her husband isn’t quite as enthusiastic as she is about the haunting holiday.
“He doesn’t like to dress up,” she said. “He says the scariest thing he wears is his scary underwear.”
Though her three children are all grown, she still gets into the holiday spirit each year by handing out candy and keeping track of the number of trick-or-treaters that come by.
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SEXY costumes
There’s one night a year when lingerie can pass for clothes, skirts get shorter, and low-cut shirts are a given. It seems though, the trend of skimpy sex-driven costumes is on a rise. From sexy school girls to sexy Snow Whites, costume manufactures are catching on to the demand.
Robyn Mascolino, manager at Life of The Party, has seen an explosion of costumes dripping with sex appeal in the last four years.
“Stuff a girl would never dream of wearing on a regular day is worn on Halloween,” she said. “We as a nation have become more open to sex appeal.”
She said sexy, sassy pirates are in, thanks to Johnny Depp.
With Life of the Party smack dab in the middle of a college town, it’s not surprising that the sexy costumes are flying off the rack.
Nick Carlozzi, a salesperson at Spirit Halloween Superstore at The Outlets at Loveland, said a lot of girls have been buying sexy costumes.
“I think Halloween for adults, as cliché as it sounds, is about letting loose and having fun,” he said.
Guys dress to be funny as opposed to sexy. This can be risky though.
“There’s a fine line between being funny and just looking stupid,” Carlozzi said.
From Halloween parties to haunted houses, the spooky holiday is full of thrills for adults as well as children.
Elle Abrams, 20, of Fort Collins is thinking about being a sassy bumble bee this year.
Brothe said after a while she gets sick of looking at provocative costumes at the Halloween Bootique. Though traditional or less revealing costumes may not be as popular, she says they can turn just as many heads.
“Seeing tasteful costumes is refreshing,” she said.
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GROUP/COUPLE costumes
You’ve heard the expression, “safety in numbers?” Dressing up as a couple or with a group can add a twist to costume fun.
Mascolino said “Alice and Wonderland” characters are a really big group costume theme this year. She also said groups of friends are also dressing up like pirates.
“Friends influence trends,” she said. “Dressing in a group can make people feel more comfortable.”
And the ever-classic group costumes are the “Wizard of Oz” characters. Mascolino said she always sees a few Dorthys, Lions, Tin Men and Scarecrows.
Carlozzi cautions people from doing couple costumes. “Just because your boyfriend or girlfriend wants to be something doesn’t mean you have to be that. It can be fun but you should do something you want to do,” he said.
Brothe said she also had a group of college students come in looking for morbid fairy-tale costumes.
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KID'S costumes
With the wild imaginations of children, just about anything goes. Costumes now are much more elaborate than the ghost costume made out of a sheet with cut-out eye holes.
Carlozzi said anything with wings is popular for little girls this year. He is also seeing a lot of TV characters and classic themes, like witches.
In Greeley, Brothe said she has seen lots of cheerleaders and ninjas for little kids. Teen boys are going for pimp outfits and middle school girls for fairies.
Though The Life of The Party doesn’t carry children’s costumes, Mascolino said pirates have influenced the whole industry. The store does have accessories that are fitting for adults and children.
She, too, has seen an upswing in fairy costumes this year.
Carlozzi said that for kids, it’s all about the candy. While the costumes are fun, it’s trick-or-treating that makes the night.
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LAST-MINUTE costumes
Planning costumes ahead of time is ideal, but what do you do when it’s Halloween night and you don’t have a costume? Don’t panic. There are still several options.
“Blood and gore is good for last minute,” Mascolino said. “It’s not too hard to make yourself gory.”
Costume makeup is an easy thing to add at any time.
The last minute is a good time to revert to traditional costumes. A witch hat can make a witch, devil horns can make a devil and fangs can make a vampire.
“One accessory can make a costume,” Mascolino said.
Most costume stores sell items separately — perfect in a bind.
Carlozzi recommends building your own props and finding old clothes.
An easy option is dressing like you came out of a time machine. You can find something totally ’80s in your closet.
“The bottom line is to change your image for one night and become someone else,” Carlozzi said.
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