The Halloween Store - Costumes, Masks, and Wigs

When Should You Order Your Halloween Costume?

2011-08-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

So many people wait until the last minute to do everything, and buying their Halloween Costume is no exception. You can pretty much buy a costume ANYWHERE these days, but for a larger selection and better deals, a lot of people order their costumes on the internet. While there are a couple reasons to wait to order your Halloween Costume (stores and websites are still getting inventory), the reasons to buy soon are greater:

1. You can pick the cheapest method of shipping and not worry about it getting to you in time. Why pay for overnight shipping? Order ahead of time and save lots of money right there!

2. If your costume doesn't fit properly, you have time to exchange it or find another costume. If you wait until a couple days before and overnight the costume, you have no time to do anything if there is a problem.

3. You have time to accessorize. We have all learned that the image doesn't always represent what is included in the package. If you get your costume in time, you can try it on and figure out if there is anything you would like to add to make your costume the best it can be. Maybe you need to add fishnets, a petticoat, some fake blood, or something else to complete your look.

4. A lot of costumes sell out. The good ones go fast! Plus, once a costume starts selling fast, the price can sometimes go up. Supply and demand, people.

I recommend buying your Halloween Costume between the last 2 weeks of September and the first 2 weeks of October. Most of the stock is in by then...and it gives you time to fix any problems that you have.

If you do wait until the last minute, do a little research before you order. Look at the sellers website and find out where they are located and then look at a shipping transit map. If you are a day or two away, there is usually no need to have your package overnighted. You may also want to read the fine print on the website. Do they guarantee delivery before Halloween? Do they have a couple days "processing" time before your package will be shipped?

Planning ahead and ordering your Costume in time can save you money and a headache, so don't wait until the last minute!

Ways to Celebrate Elvis Week

2011-08-10T07:26:00.000-07:00

Grab your Rock N Roll Glasses and Bedazzled Jumpsuits, 2011 Elvis Week has begun!

For those that are in Memphis for the big week, there are tons of events. From Elvis tribute artist contests to Graceland trivia, there is something for every fan. Check out this site for schedule of events. If you visit Graceland and have a smart phone, make sure you enter to win tickets to Viva ELVIS (airfare not included). To enter, you must have a QR Code Reader on your phone, find an employee with a Blue Elvis week shirt, and scan the QR code that is on the back of their badge.

If you aren't in Memphis for Elvis week and still want to celebrate:
1. Make yourself a Fried or Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich
2. Watch Jailhouse Rock, Blue Hawaii, or another Elvis movie(s)
3. Listen to some Elvis tunes
4. Go to an amusement park and ride a roller coaster
5. Play Elvis Monopoly

What are some other ways you can celebrate Elvis Week?

Easter Costume 2011

2011-04-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

Easter is one of the two biggest costume holidays after Halloween. (The other being Christmas). The Easter Bunny, aka Peter Cottontail, starts to make his appearance this time of year. He can be found at the mall, posing for photos with kids or he can be found at community Easter egg hunts. Whatever the event, there is an Easter Bunny Costume for every budget. You can check your area for Bunny Costumes for rent, or you can purchase one online.

The cheapest route for an Easter Bunny Costume would be to buy a Mask and wear a white sweatshirt and sweatpants. This would be a good choice if you just want to snap a few silly photos with the kids on Easter morning and don't want to put a lot of money or effort into it. Or you can get Easter Bunny Ears or a Bunny Hat.

The next step up would be an open-faced Easter Bunny Costume. This is also great for use around children that are scared by the full over-the-head masks. I am attending an Easter Bunny themed dance and this would be an excellent choice for the event.

For Easter Egg Hunts or events where children (and some adults!) will be taking photos with the Easter Bunny, you will probably want a full over-the-head Mascot Quality Costume. You can find these at all different price points. Two examples are a Plush Easter Bunny and a more deluxe Mascot.

The Easter Bunny is not the only costume used at Easter. Many churches put on a Passion Play and need various costumes for the production. Makeup is required for the crucifixion scene, and many sizes of Stage Blood and Liquid Latex are available.

A few of the costumes and makeup items needed are as follow:
Roman Soldier
Roman Armor
Jesus Costume
Jesus Wig & Beard
Stage Blood
Liquid Latex

There are many Easter traditions that have been celebrated for many generations. Some of them are serious and some of them are fun. Whatever the event, costumes help create a lasting memory.

What's Hot in Costumes for 2011

2011-02-03T13:22:00.000-08:00

If I were asked what the top 2 Costumes will be for Halloween 2011, I would have to say Steampunk & Zombies, for sure! They made a prominent appearance at Halloween Trade Shows this year and there are many options to choose from.

Steampunk is Victorian Industrial & Science Fiction. Think monocles, gears, bell toppers, aviator goggles, etc. This growing movement brings fans together for conventions and has even made its way into crime scene show episodes. The great thing about Steampunk costumes is the accessories! You can take your own piece and mix and match and add accessories to have several different looks.

Featured above are a Steampunk Duster Coat and Steampunk Sally Costume. These are just 2 examples of the many Steampunk Costumes that will be available for purchase later in the year. There will also be many leather and gear themed chokers, bracelets, necklaces, and rings out there. With all the ways to dress up your Steampunk Costume, the possibilities are endless!

Zombies were a hit last year, and I feel will be an even bigger hit this year. With Zombies, you can pretty much create your own outfit by picking out something (that you hopefully don't want to wear anymore), shred it and add some Stage Blood and Texas Dirt and some Zombie makeup and you are good to go!

If you don't have any clothes that you can ruin to create a costume, there are plenty out there to choose from! For the men there are the Zombie Headmaster, Football Player, Clown, Pirate, and more! For the women there are the Zombie Cheerleader, Nurse, and School Girl, etc.

Another popular costume accessory for Zombie Costumes are White Contacts. You can check your local optometrist to get fitted for contacts. You are supposed to be required to have an eye exam to purchase any kind of contacts, even non-prescription.

Top 10 Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Men

2011-01-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

Ladies, having a hard time thinking of something to get for your man this year for Valentine's Day? Tired of giving him cologne, wallets, and watches? How about giving himself something that you know he loves...yourself! Wrapped up in a sexy costume of course!

There are so many sexy costumes out there, you are sure to find one that you both will love! You can go with a Valentine theme, such as Sexy Cupid, or just wear something that will put you in the center of his fantasies! The possibilities are endless and will make for a Valentine's to remember!

Here are my personal top 10 favorite Valentine Costume ideas:
1. Cupid's Cutie Sexy Adult Costume
2. Candy Hearts Sexy Adult Costume
3. Cupid Cutie Sexy Adult Costume
4. Sexy Heart Costume
5. Pink Corset, Thong, and Stockings
6. White Bustier, Thong, and Stockings
7. Black Corset, Thong, and Stockings
8. Sexy Bunny Adult Costume
9. Fetching Fraulein Adult Costume
10. Feline Fatale Sexy Adult Costume

Gaga for Lady Gaga

2010-07-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

Easily recognized by her bizarre outfits and well known for her chart-topping electronic/dance hits, Lady Gaga is sure to inspire some interesting Halloween costumes this year. Licensed Lady Gaga costumes and accessories will be hitting the shelves just in time for the upcoming season.

Some of the costumes in the lineup include:

The blue swimsuit featured in the music video for Poker Face. The blue gloves and blonde wig with bangs will be available separately.

Black and silver sequined dress. This costume is also available in all silver.

The star dress like the one Lady Gaga wore on American Idol.

All of the costumes in this line are great for little monsters that want a sexy Halloween costume. These costumes are sure to be a hit this year. There are many accessories that will be available to complete your Lady Gaga costume, from wigs to makeup. You can find the costumes for preorder on some websites, but they will not be available until closer to Halloween.

New and Exciting Costumes for 2010- Part One: Movies

2010-03-25T18:16:00.000-07:00

The beginning of the new year marks the revealing of costumes for the coming year. Retailers travel around the country to different trade shows to find out the latest and greatest costumes, accessories, and props to stock up on. They attend seminars to learn how to better their business. They are able to touch and feel samples of the new costumes before they order.

Although this post is a few months late, here are some of the things our company saw at the Vegas and Houston trade shows in Januray that we are especially excited about! This post will focus on the 2010 costumes that are based on movies that are out or coming out this year.

Avatar, December 18, 2009

Avatar costumes include Jake Sully and Neytiri jumpsuits. There will also be wigs and makeup available, as well as weapons and masks. The Neytiri costume is very sexy, without reveailing any skin. Jake Sully and Neytiri would make an excellent couples costume for the fit couple!

Alice in Wonderland, March 5th

In the Alice in Wonderland line, there will be a Deluxe and a Prestige version of the Mad Hatter. There will also be officially licensed Alice and the Red Queen Costumes. There will also be non-movie version costumes and Sexy Alice, Sexy Mad Hatter, Teen Cheshire Cat, and other related costumes, as well as wigs, makeup kits, etc.

Clash of the Titans, April 2nd

A Nightmare on Elm Street, April 30th
Every time a new classic horror film comes out, there is some slight change in the mask or costume to distinguish it from the other masks. While the masks are great for collectors, you can save some money by buying an older style mask. There are plenty out there!

Iron Man 2, May 7th
Do you want to be Iron Man or War Machine? This year there will be costumes, tattoo face masks, and accessories for both characters!

Shrek Forever After, May 21
There are many options for Shrek costumes, and this year added to the line is a Sexy Princess Fiona Warrior Costume! Not quite sure how that works...but it should be fun nonetheless!

Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time, May 28th

I was told at the trade show, this might be the sleeper movie of the year that becomes a cult classic and surprises retailers at Halloween. This adventure movie, based on the popular video game series, features Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan, Gemma Arterton as Tamina, Ben Kingsley as Nizam, and Alfred Molina as Sheik Amar. We will have Prince Dastan and Tamina Costumes. Check our website out later this year, they will be up as soon as we get them, if not sooner!

Jonah Hex, June 18th
A movie based on the DC Comic horribly scarred Western antihero. Josh Brolin plays Jonah in the upcoming movie, Megan Fox plays Leila, and John Malkovich plays Quentin Turnbull. There will be standard and deluxe versions of the Jonah Costume, and sexy versions of Leila with different options for color.

Toy Story 3, June 18th
The classic characters- Woody, Jessie, and Buzz Lightyear- will make a comeback as the new Toy Story movie comes out. There is a great new costume coming out this year, the green army man, along with a REALLY nice Bo Peep. Coming soon!

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, June 30th
Be on the lookout...vampire costumes are expected to be HUGE this year. There are even some Edward style wigs out there!

Friday the 13th Part 2 in 3d, August 13th
Remake of the classic horror movie. Many options depending how much you want to spend.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, November 19th

As the Harry Potter movies have been coming out for years now, the costumes are not as popular. We think people may really get into the last 2 movies and want to dress up for release parties or maybe even dress up to go to the new Harry Potter theme park at Disney! There are many great characters to choose from, Harry himself, Voldemort, a Death Eater, Hermoine, etc. Do you want to be good or do you want to be bad?

Costumes are not just for Halloween

2010-02-08T17:22:00.000-08:00

One question that many costume retailers repeatedly get is "Are you open all year?"
The answer to that is YES!

A lot of people wonder what our industry does the other 11 months out of the year. While most of our sales do occur in October, selling costumes and props is a year round job. For pretty much every holiday you can think of, there are people that will dress up to celebrate. Cupid or something sexy for Valentine's Day, a Leprechaun for St. Patrick's Day, robes and crowns for Mardi Gras, Statue of Liberty or Uncle Sam for 4th of July, Pilgrims and Native Americans for Thanksgiving, Santa Claus and Elves for Christmas. You get the picture.

Not only do people dress up to celebrate holidays, they dress up to entertain or educate people. Some children dress up as a president or famous person for a class project or book report. There are school plays and dance recitals. Companies might order costumes to wear in a commercial. Bands might order masks to wear in a music video. Sports fans order makeup to paint their face or body with a sports team's colors.

Another popular reason to dress up is themed birthday parties. We noticed a trend in the past few years of customers having parties to celebrate the decade they were born, the most popular being the 70's. Parents will also dress up for their child's birthday party as a character the child likes or to fit a theme.

So, if you think that people in the Halloween industry only work one month out of the year, you know better now!