The word Halloween, meaning the "holy evening," falls on the 31st of October every year and is a time specially devoted for the remembrance of martyrs, saints, and all loyal Christians. The enthusiasm of people knows no bound to celebrate the eeriest and darkest festivals of all. The traditional Halloween activities consist of bonfires, visiting haunted places, watching horror movies, decorating houses with pumpkins, trick-or-treating, and the most important of all is dressing up to look like a famous character or deck up to look creepy or frightful.
Halloween is celebrated with a lot of joy and galore in Ireland, where the festival originated, America, Canada, England, Mexico, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and Austria. However, the festival has caught the attention, and moreover, the concept of costume parties is what has taken it forward to countries like Japan, China, Hong Kong, and France.
But the Halloween this year is extra special because it is falling on a Friday since 2008, and hence retailers and analysts are expecting it to turn into a weekend affair with families and individuals spending more on their holiday and costumes. In the United States, Halloween sales are expected to reach a dramatic $7.4 billion for the year 2014, a great progress from the $7 billion sales accounted for in 2013. On average, every individual is expected to spend at least $77.52 on the holiday. Therefore, this makes Halloween costumes sales a second big holiday season for apparel retailers after Christmas in America and Canada. The United States is also home to many Halloween parades carried out on the occasion of Halloween.
The festival of demons and devils is definitely driving Halloween sales in the US. According to the National Retail Federation, people will be spending $1.1 billion on costumes for children, $1.4 billion on adult costumes, and a whopping $350 million on pet costumes. The study also reports that this year one-third of Americans will either be attending or throwing a Halloween party and expects two-thirds of Americans to be buying Halloween costumes, which constitutes 67 percent, the largest percentage ever. For kids, cartoon characters, fairy tale characters, and animal costumes remain the most popular items for Halloween. While for pets, hot dog, pumpkin, and devil costumes remain the top three most popular outfits. Adult costumes of Zombies, Pirates, Clowns, Witches, Vampires, and Star Wars characters remain all-time favorites.
The costume purchases are definitely rising with growing disposable earnings and young party goers using popular photo sharing applications. The social networking sites are encouraging shoppers to buy high end costumes and upload worthy looks. The recently concluded fashion weeks have also showcased runway trends that are favorable for an haute Halloween costume for twenty fourteen. For lady-like silhouettes and to look dangerously sophisticated this Halloween opt for the black widow styled dresses longer in length and made up of sheer fabrics. Designers like Nina Ricci, Alexander McQueen, Simon Rocha, and Dolce & Gabbana exhibited such styles on the runway.
Add a ghoulish look to your outfit by taking on the 70s with vintage styles by designer labels like Gucci, Prada, Channel or Louis Vuitton. For more futuristic costumes adapting the cyber punk look which is quintessentially inspired from Blade Runner can be an alternative for a more chic Halloween. Balenciaga, Balmain, and Tom Ford displayed designs with such an appeal.
Another interesting fashion pick is influenced by movies like Clueless and Mean girls, the ideal options would be twinsets and miniskirts. To complete the look accessorize costumes with a flip phone and by constantly chewing bubble gum. Moschino, Versace, and Topshop have showcased these teen mean looks in their collection. Leather work used in armour style by Givenchy and Altuzarra gave the Garner girl look to outfits this season which can easily be translated into great Halloween costumes.
The easy to pull look is that of the androgynous fashion in womenswear with military style silhouettes can be carried by anyone for Halloween with ease. Slip dresses are an amazing way to pull of the slumber party look and Halloween is a perfect excuse to dress a little sleazy. Designer brans like Stella McCartney, Chloe, and Mary Kantrantzou put together such styles in their fashion shows. If looking scary and devilish is not one's cup of tea, then they can opt for a more innocent country girl look by wearing ginghams, seudes, and laces for a sweet simple look. Zzimmerman, Valentino, Bottega Veneta, and MM6's collection is loaded with styles like these.
The clichd sexy nurse outfits are history now, with people trying out costumes from popular characters from Television shows like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead, who are also are selling licensed merchandises this Halloween. With the superhero character Batman celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, costumes of this action figure is also selling like hot cakes along with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles costumes.
For kids the characters of the animated movies released in the end of 2013, Frozen, have grown to become extremely popular. Halloween is beginning to become the second most bankable holiday season for apparel retailers with sales of Halloween costumes increasing rapidly.
References:
1. Newsday.com
2. Heraldsun.com.au
3. Ibisworld.com
4. News-press.com
Image courtesy:
1. Blancashouse.org
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