A chill is in the air and police are preparing for battle. This can mean only one thing: Halloween is coming.
While most people look forward to the prospect of dressing up as something new and original, many more are at a loss as to what they are going to be this year. From about mid-October right up until Halloween, there are always people who can’t make up their minds as to what they should be. “Costume agony,” as we’ll coin it, is one of the plagues facing students going into this weekend.
According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), the most popular costume this year is Spiderman. The NRF estimates that over 2,150,000 kids will be donning the red and blue tights of the friendly neighborhood superhero. Coming in at a fairly distant second place is princess, and the third spot is held by witch. While these costumes may be perfect for children, most college students wouldn’t feel comfortable hitting State Street wearing the outfit of their favorite Yu-Gi-Oh! character … then again, some might.
One place to find cheap costumes is at the St. Vincent De Paul Store (1309 Williamson St.). Specializing in second-hand clothing, St. Vincent De Paul has wigs, suits, dresses, medical scrubs and many other things to assemble a get-up for the big night. As a bonus, if students want to give back their used costumes to the store, they are offering a 10-percent-off coupon toward customers’ next purchases.
A couple of other popular costume shops located around campus are Halloween Express (4634 E. Washington Ave.) and Spirit Halloween Superstore (514 Westgate Mall). Both shops are open seasonally, opening in September and closing down shortly after Halloween. While students will pay a little more at these places than they would at a thrift store, the selection is much greater.
Bob Van Asten, owner of Spirit Halloween Superstore, has noticed a pickup in business lately.
“We do close to 50 percent of our business in the last 15 days before Halloween,” said Van Asten. He went on to say, “We’re open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. everyday. Our costumes run anywhere from $11.99 to $99.99, depending on what people are looking for.”
While past years have seen focuses on scandalous outfits with risqué looks aplenty on Oct. 31, Van Asten has noticed a change in that trend. “Popular costumes this year have been more wholesome and funny … less emphasis is placed on the scary or gory ones.”
Even though Halloween is looming closer, Van Asten is confident that customers will find what they are looking for at Spirit Halloween Superstore. “We are very well stocked with costumes, decorations, wigs and make-up … people will have no problem finding what they need.”
Many students shy away from buying new outfits for only one weekend of thrills. A simple solution to not wanting to shell out the cash for a new costume is to combine elements from Halloweens past.
Spencer Keller, a junior at UW-Madison, is crafting his own costume. “I have an old gorilla mask and a clown costume, so I’m going as a gorilla clown.” Truly, ingenuity triumphs in the face of evil … or it’s just another example of college cheapness.
Other students put much more thought into what they will wear and how it will affect their night. Ryan Freckmann, also a junior at Madison, says, “Your mouth must be easily accessible. No one wants to be taking an annoying mask off every time they want to slam a beer or take a shot. That is why I boycott any costume that covers my mouth.”
Whatever the case may be, students should move quickly in getting their costumes in order to avoid the last-minute rush. The only thing worse than having a half-baked “gorilla clown” costume is not having one at all. Come Halloween night, there are sure to be a few people “from the ’80s” or dressed as “college students.” Please, don’t be that guy. For just a few bucks, anyone can pick up a decent costume and join in what are sure to be must-see festivities.
