With nearly seven in 10 Americans planning to celebrate Halloween, Oct. 31 is one of the fastest growing holidays of the year. And for good reason, it is a chance to break away from day-to-day routines to let loose and have some fun.
A National Retail Federation survey said Americans will spend $8 billion on Halloween this year, and a good chunk of that will be spent on costumes.
Don't be fooled: Halloween isn't just for kids. In fact, more money is expected to be spent on adult costumes this year than on costumes for children.
The trade group estimates there will 6 million adults dressing as a witch, and 3.2 million dressing as a vampire. Trailing those costume choices are the traditional fare: pirates, super heroes, and zombies. Yet costume retailers also see some other trends creeping into Halloween fare this year.
Among them is a growing preference for humorous costumes. Some of these are based on popular television shows or newsworthy public figures.
"Choosing a costume is one of the most entertaining parts of Halloween," said NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay. So choose wisely.
Read ahead to see some of the trendiest Halloween costumes this year.
1. Ted
Suggested Price: $89.99
Movies often are a source of Halloween inspiration, and this year is no different. Seth MacFarlane's movie, "Ted," has inspired a few costume ideas. Spirit Halloween is rushing a Ted bear costume into the store, but in order to complete the look you may want to add on a few accessories to make it more recognizable. One example is the cashier apron, or the business suit that Ted wore in the movie.
2. Super Skins with Accessories
Skin Suit Suggested
Price: $34.99 to $44.99 Accessory prices vary
Skin suits have become a popular Halloween staple, but this year update the look by adding funny accessories to make a new character.
Several retailers are saying that they are seeing a rise in sales of Halloween costume accessories. One reason is that consumers are using accessories to customize their look, sometimes morphing together two classic Halloween costumes to make a unique new version. For example, taking a bridal costume and turning it into a zombie.
The skin suits form an excellent base for this concept. Pictured here is a skin suit combined with clown accessories, but other ideas include a basketball player, a super hero, and a rocker girl.
The NRF expects to see a lot more athlete-themed costumes, possibly a nod to this summer's Olympics.
3. Honey Boo Boo and June
Suggested Price: Varies
The self-proclaimed redneck reality TV stars of TLC's "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" are inspiring a lot of costume ideas this year.
Costume retailers expect Halloween party-goers to dress as child pageant star Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson and her mother June Shannon. The rest of the family may be fair game as well. Even Alana's brief pet, Glitzy the pig, is not off limits.
Although there are no official "Honey Boo Boo" costumes, Halloween costume shops are sure to have the right accessories to pull off the look. Pictured here is a kid pageant dress costume.
4. Gangnam Style Gangnam Style
Suggested Price: Varies
With its catchy rhythm and its humorous video, not to mention Korean musician PSY's crazy dance moves, Gangnam style has taken the world by storm. As of late September, the music video had been viewed more than 292 million times.
Since the video has inspired numerous parodies - including one from the North Korean government - and "Gangnam Style" flash mobs, no doubt there will be Halloween party-goers dressing "Gangnam Style."
5. Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele - 50 Shades of Grey Suggested Price: Varies
The desire to dress like a police office may be why handcuff sales are up at costume shops. Still, there could be another - decidedly different -reason why sales for that particular accessory are on the rise.
With the huge popularity of the "50 Shades of Grey" series, more than a few people may be looking to create their own versions of the characters Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele.
Some interpretations could be rather tame, such as taking 50 shades of grey fabric and stitching them together into some form or another. But it's more likely an aspiring Mr. Grey will dress in a suit with a tie; a want-to-be Anastasia has a longer list of options. So many, in fact, that Pinterest has a page of ideas of what would be in Ana's closet.
5. Pirate Shaper
Suggested Price: $69.99
Forget the flimsy costumes: this year, consumers are looking for higher-quality fabrics, well-sewn seams, and embellishments.
"They want a lot more bells and whistles and a more finished look," said Cheryl Kerzner, vice president of design and marketing at Jakks Pacific's Disguise unit.
It's especially true for the more revealing women's costumes. Many now are made with Shapewear. This, for example, is a pirate, which ranked as the third most popular choice for adult costumes this year.
