Time for a masquerade

Tired of being a maid for Halloween? Is your old doctor costume wearing thin? How about that Anakin outfit?\nThis year, the costumes are mostly inspired by films and popular culture. And Halloween itself isn't nearly as bloody and gore-oriented as it used to be, said Alice Huff, owner of Costume Delights, which sells and rents costumes for a variety of occasions.\nHalloween is now the second most celebrated commercial holiday in the Americas, according to www.historychannel.com. Americans spend over $6.9 billion annually on decorations, costumes, party supplies and other Halloween paraphernalia. Halloween dates back to 2000 years ago when it started as a Celtic holiday celebrating the dead. Costumes were also a part of the celebration. Celts wore animal heads and pig skins. In Europe, people wore masks on Halloween so the spirits visiting Earth would mistake them for other spirits. Costumes began to change when the holiday was turned into All Saints Day. People began dressing up as saints, angels and devils in honor of religious figures. \n"People want to cut loose and be something they're not," said Pamela Ladd, owner of Blast Off Balloons. \nHuff has noticed a '70s-inspired trend in the last couple of years because of the popularity of the "Austin Powers" movies and the popular "That '70s Show." \n"Every movie that comes out and every TV show is indicative in sales of what is going to be popular," Huff said. \nFactory Card Outlet is also selling costumes inspired by movies. "The Matrix" costumes dominate sales. "Neo" and "Morpheus" costumes go fast, a trend store supervisor Lindsay Fry credits to the upcoming release of the last installment in the trilogy. \nStill, Ladd said the store's most popular costume would have to be the pirate because of this summer's blockbuster "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." People come in either to buy the entire costume or the accessories, which include toy swords and daggers, belts, eye patches and skull-and-bones themed jewelry.\nThough the movie costumes seem to be the most popular, many of the vendors stock up on a general variety of outfits including such traditional staples as French maids, firemen, doctors and pumpkins. \nCostumes Delights rents and sells over 7,000 costumes it has in stock. Costumes range from a six pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon to jester costumes.\nFry said she feels Factory Card Outlet has a wide variety of costumes. Costumes at the store include the Cat in the Hat, the Queen of Hearts, Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz," a cow and clown costumes, which seem to be the least popular costume in the lineup. Fry said her store has not sold a single clown costume yet. Clown costumes aren't popular at Blast Off Balloons either, said sales representative Mary Craig.\nStore owners also see people who use the same costume year after year, only making minor changes in size or accessories. The most common costumes are usually American icons or figures connected with Halloween. \n"Most females go for the witch or the devil," Fry said. \nThe recent rise in interest in the '50s has led to good sales of poodle skirts and Marilyn Monroe getups.\n"We sell out of Marilyn Monroe costumes every year. It doesn't matter which of her movies the costume is from," Huff said. "We only have about one or two left."\nBoth Fry and Huff say most men go for the more off-beat costumes. Fry has noticed several purchases of the "Sponge Bob Squarepants" and other cartoon-inspired outfits.\nFry said a lot of men also come in to try on the larger-size female costumes. Factory Card Outlet sells a big girl costume for guys. The outfit is a big pink dress fully equipped with breasts. \nCraig and Ladd agree the funniest costume at Blast Off Balloons is the blow-up doll suit. \nLadd said the most unique is the handmade flower pot costume, which includes a large flower pot that fits on the wearer's shoulders and petals that frame the face. \nAll of the stores sell makeup and accessories for people wanting to be a little more unique or realistic for Halloween. \n"It's always how you wear the costume," Ladd said. "You have to have the right accessories."\nCostume Delights offers plenty of accessories to help anyone put together a costume without spending much money. \n"You can take any dress you have, get the right accessories and you're a flapper," Huff said. "All you need is a feather boa, long gloves, cigarette holder, headband and long beads." \nLadd said she gives customers a list of ideas from the in-store booklet as a starting point for brainstorming.\nThe search for a costume shouldn't be something difficult, Ladd said. The difficulty arises out of the desire to look different from everyone else at a Halloween gathering. To find a comfortable costume, look for it fitting in the shoulder, the waist and leg and arm length. Also, make sure you have all the accessories you will need, including jewelry and makeup. \nUltimately, choosing a Halloween costume is about being comfortable and finding something unique to match the wearer's interests, Huff said.\n"It has to be fun to party in, that is key to a good costume." \n-- Contact staff reporter Patrice Worthy at pworthy@indiana.edu.