What do medieval knights, Dolly Parton and “The Legend of Zelda” have in common? They’re inspiration for some of the most popular costumes this Halloween, industry insiders say.
Halloween is go time for Courtland Hickey, owner of Chicago Costume. He’s seen an uptick in interest for medieval costumes and Renaissance festival garb in recent months.
“This is also the 40th anniversary year of ‘The Legend of Zelda’ video game. So there’s been some piqued interest in Legend of Zelda character costumes,” said Mr. Hickey, vice president of the National Costumers Association, which represents more than 300 active and retired costume manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers.
People were interested in these podcasts
Mr. Hickey, whose been in the dress-up business for over a decade, said he’s also seen a steep rise in Dolly Parton costumes since the country music legend’s death in August at age 80.
Of course, perennial favorites will abound this season, says Michele Boylstein, executive director of the Halloween & Costume Association, which represents more than 40 businesses that make and sell Halloween and costume products. And adding your own personal flair can make what’s old feel new again, she says.
“You see witches every year, but there are so many different ways people can make that costume their own. I think it’s because people immediately recognize them as Halloween, and they’re easy to make your own,” Ms. Boylstein said in an email. “A witch can be scary, glamorous, funny, or really elaborate. The same is true for vampires, ghosts, and skeletons.”
Pop culture offers a wellspring of costuming inspiration, from comic books and music to movies and television. Yahoo Shopping’s recent costume guide touts Spider-Man; his girlfriend, MJ; and the Scooby-Doo gang as likely outfits for trick-or-treaters and party-goers.
The shopper’s guide also suggests costumes based on Michael Jackson’s red jacket in his “Thriller” video, driven by revived interest from this year’s blockbuster biopic “Michael,” and Miranda Priestly, the formidable fashion magazine editor in “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” as portrayed by Meryl Streep.
A unique feature of this Halloween season is the role of social media as a major source of costume ideas, Ms. Boylstein says.
“Among adults who plan to dress in costume, 30% say they’re getting inspiration from Instagram, 26% from pop culture, 25% from TikTok and 24% from Pinterest,” she said. “Something can really take off quickly now because people see a character, movie, show, or viral moment online and want to recreate it for Halloween.”
Many consumers buy an entire costume in one package, but others strive to assemble costumes from purchased elements such as makeup or accessories, rather than sewing them from scratch.
Mr. Hickey says that going the homemade route this season has led to less price shock than in recent years because rising costs have stabilized, with tariffs largely managed through supply chain adjustments.
“I would say this year, actually, costs related to costume products are more level where we’ve sort of figured everything out with regard to the tariff situation on the product,” he said. “So I think that the costs are — there’s not as much of a sticker shock necessarily to buying a costume this year as there has been sort of annually post pandemic.”
Costume enthusiasts “may be a little more thoughtful about what they buy or how much they spend, but they’re still participating and celebrating,” Ms. Boylstein added.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.