Remember when Halloween used to be about witches and ghosts? Well, don’t be surprised if you open your door this year to a trick-or-treater with a Snooki poof or a meat dress.
“This year, avante garde hits mainstream, and as a result, 2010 costumes are expected to be completely over the top,” says Melissa Sprich, top costume merchandiser for Party City. “More than ever, the latest runway shows and fashion-forward individuals influence costume trends, and as always, the year’s hit blockbusters and outlandish pop figures strongly influence costume trends, as people love taking on a completely different persona for Halloween.”
The top 2010 Halloween costume trends this year, according to Sprich: Lady GaGa and modern vampires.
“As always, vampires are very hot because of Twilight and so is Lady Gaga,” says Anthony Randazzo, owner of Sandy’s Party Supply in Franklin Square, a Long Island family-oriented business that has been around for 35 years, and has grown their inventory from two aisles to two floors.
Following close behind vampires and Gaga are 1980s comebacks of the Michael Jackson and Madonna era, Jersey Shore cast members—including Snooki Bump Up and Pauly D Perfect Gel wigs—and Roman and Greek goddess costumes inspired by this season’s runway trends.
“Thankfully, young people can still be princesses, ghosts and firemen,” says iParty online costume store CEO Sal Perisano, who also adds Tiger Woods and Lindsay Lohan inmate costumes as big sellers. “We need to balance all those Jersey Shore costumes with some good old Walt Disney!”
Toy Story costumes and other movie-themed costumes also top 2010 sales, including Iron Man, Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, and Star Wars’ Darth Vader.
And when you buy this year’s costume, whether it’s from Party City, Target, Sandy’s, an online retailer like iParty, check out the label. Chances are, it was stitched right here on Long Island.
Melville-based Rubies Costume Company started out as a candy manufacturer in 1950 but added costumes to their repertoire in 1973. By 1990, this Long Island company was going global with traditional costumes like witches and fairies to more edgy creations like Riot Grrrl and Punk Pirate. Rubies recently acquired the license to be the sole producer of this year’s most wanted costume, Lady GaGa.
“We are extremely excited to put out the only officially licensed Halloween costumes for an amazing talent like Lady GaGa,” said Howard Beige, executive vice president of Rubies. “Rubies will be producing these items in its factories around the world to ensure delivery for this Halloween.”
Rubies also holds licenses for Warner Bros., Disney, DreamWorks, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon, among others.
And with every empty storefront on Long Island turning into a seasonal Halloween store—most likely stocked with Rubies wears—there is no shortage of options in the costume department. The only question is, where exactly, other than the NYC Halloween parade, do you wear your Rebel Girl fishnets while walking your dog, incognito as a four-legged Purple Pimp?
Luckily we have as many Halloween celebrations to choose from as costumes. For the daring, there’s the Franklin Square Horror where Joe Allocco chases visitors down the block with chainsaws to raise money for local charities. For the offbeat, there’s one of Long Island’s most unique Halloween rituals: boat burning. Each year, the Long Island Maritime Museum burns an old boat on its front lawn and throws a party for the locals.
Want to meet some real witches? Well, Smithtown just happens to host the annual Samhain Witch Festival, one of the largest gatherings of neo-pagans in the U.S., in the Sheraton Hotel’s Grand Ballroom.
And then of course there are Long Island’s home-grown haunts—abandoned psychiatric centers, centuries-old cemeteries, Raynham Hall with it’s ghostly white horse and rider in Oyster Bay, the haunted pub and former speakeasy Katie’s of Smithtown, and the house known ‘round the world, The Amityville Horror.
And if none of the above meet your expectations, try throwing a shindig of your own. Since Halloween falls on a Sunday this year Randazzo expects lots of parties.
“A lot of parties start on Saturday night and run over into the witching hour,” he says. “12:01.”
But before you get too excited, make sure you’re safe. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says incidents involving burns from flammable costumes lead the list of Halloween-related injuries every year.
“Using inherently flame-resistant fabrics in home-made costumes and using battery-operated candles when decorating the house for Halloween can help keep children safe,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. The CPSC advises when purchasing costumes and accessories to look for flame-resistant fabrics such as nylon or polyester, or items labeled “Flame Resistant,” which will resist burning.
To further minimize the risk, avoid costumes made with flimsy materials or that have baggy sleeves—and, of course, keep your Snooki poof and Pauly D gel wig away from open flames.
