Ready to wear

French maids, pimps top lists of Halloween demands at local costume shops

By Corinna Christman

For the Daily

Even though trick or treating around the neighborhood is no longer an option for most students, there are always parties, dances and plenty of other excuses to wear something fun for Halloween.

But entering a costume store can often make the decision of what to wear difficult. Flooded with celebrity masks, canes, various hats, wigs, dresses, scarves, eyelashes and millions of other transforming accessories, every idea becomes attractive.

Workers at Fantasy Attic, which has recently moved to a new location at 3010 Packard Road, have reached a general consensus on the most popular costume this year: French maid. One of the reasons for this is because there is not a really big movie character this year. Other popular costumes included generic ideas like flappers, genies, sleazy devils and a lot of outfits featuring leather.

Fantasy Attic employee Shari Johnson said, "The most rented costumes are Antony and Cleopatra, leiderhosen and costumes from 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Eyes Wide Shut.'"

The latter costume includes a silver mask with the long nose and long velvet cape, modeled after Tom Cruise's Cyrano de Bergerac in the movie.

"It's a very sensuous costume, and that's why people like it," Johnson said.

Other costumes that are being modeled after popular movies or literature are Austin Powers and Felicity Shagwell. David McNulty of Retro Threads on Main Street said that quite a few people are interested in costumes from "Charlie's Angels" as well, with the new movie coming out starring Cameron Diaz, Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore.

LSA freshman Kati Moore is following the movie theme but breaking the gender barrier with her masked "Zorro" costume.

Students can find a variety of costume ideas on Retro Threads' shelves. The store has a huge assortment of '70s, retro, '20s and swing dance outfits. The store is jampacked with suits, ties, hats, wigs, jewelry and anything else to make a creative costume, McNulty said.

"The store can do any decade or character from the '20s to the '70s," McNulty said. "We even have colonial type stuff and period things too." The store also offers props for those dressing as Hawaiian dancers or as punks. Some of the most popular items purchased at Retro Threads are used to accessorize pimp costumes.

"A lot of people buy fake furs to dress as pimps," he said. "There were 10 or 12 sorority girls who came in and wanted to be pimps."

McNulty also said a lot of people dress as classic entertainers from album covers.

When it comes to political figures, it seems that people would still vote for Clinton if they could.

"A lot of people buy Clinton masks," Johnson said. Although Clinton has retained his popularity, Bush and Gore are not as big as one would think.

"We have a lot of Bush and Gore masks, if anyone cares," Johnson said. So far, not many people are interested or buying. McNolty has not noticed any interest in political figures, either.

Looking for a groovy group or a couple costume? Many people are going as cartoon characters, such as Scooby-Doo or the Powerpuff Girls.

"We had seven people come in and ask what they should be. We told them to be the Brady Bunch," Johnson said.

LSA senior Karolyn Kokko and her friends are recreating a tropical paradise. "My housemates and I are throwing a party and we're going to be Hawaiian girls."

LSA sophomore Matt Miller and LSA junior Elise Bordenstein are going as either a "sexy cop" and a prisoner with a striped uniform or a pimp and a prostitute.

Other students reach far beyond these ideas for something really original.

"We had one guy come in and he wanted to be static cling," Johnson said. "He was asking us how to attach certain things to his clothing, and he put a bunch of hair spray in his hair so it was all sticking up."

There are a few costumes with new twists, also. Go-go girls costumes are being made in latex as opposed to traditional fabric, and latex is becoming a lot more common in many different costumes, such as full body suits.

For an easy costume that wouldn't take much, there are all kinds of masks in all kinds of prices, including every Star Wars character ever seen on screen, from the first film to the most recent one. Along with this, there are many celebrity faces, and historical figures, including, but not limited to, Cher, Liz Taylor, Paul Newman, John Travolta, Regis Philbin, Michelangelo's David, Julius Caesar and Van Gogh (with ear intact). These masks range from $30-$60.

While some people dress up to completely disguise themselves, some set out with the goal to have the weirdest costume ever, others simply dress up to have fun or because it's a good excuse to wear something they haven't in a long time. When Halloween comes around this year do not be surprised if there are a few extra French maids, prostitutes and pimps on the street, and famous movie characters are on every corner.

DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily

LSA sophomore Tuyen Huynh gets some help trying on her cat costume from LSA sophomore at The Cat's Meow on South State Street. The store is located on the third floor above Retro Threads.