Hollywood influences costumes this Halloween

Tag : children costume
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By MEGAN K. SCOTT
Associated Press Writer | Saturday, October 11, 2008 | No comments posted.
Hollywood is going trick-or-treating again.

Costume suppliers predict the top Halloween costumes this year willcome from summer blockbusters and the Disney channel.

Thanks to "The Dark Knight," Batman is a top costume for children,adults and pets, according to the National Retail Federation, whileiParty's list of children's favorites adds the Joker, Star Wars,Harry Potter and Hannah Montana.

Popular adult costumes are a pirate and a French maid, a variationon the revealing costumes popular for women. Politics is anotherpopular theme.

"Ghosts, mummies, witches always sell, and sometimes they sellextremely well," said Sal Perisano, CEO of iParty. "However, popculture in recent years has pretty much dictated what drives thebest-sellers."

Here are some of the year's top options:

Infants/Toddlers

Hooded furry animals continue to be popular choices for thelittlest ones, said Cari Shapiro, vice president for Babies "R" Us,adding that a monkey was on track to be a top seller again thisyear.

Trends include "girly-tutu-esque" costumes, such as Tinkerbell anda ladybug with a tutu, along with monster costumes that come inblue and pink, said Shapiro.

At Spirit Halloween, lion and bumble bee are popular baby costumes,said President and CEO Steven Silverstein. And Abby Cadabby fromSesame Street and Disney's Handy Manny are top choices for toddlersinfluenced by television characters, he said.

Children

Disney princesses and pirates are top sellers at the Disney Store,with new Cinderella, Ariel and "Pirates of the Caribbean" costumes,said Disney Store spokeswoman Melissa Rozansky.

But this year, it's all about the tweens, she said, with popularcostumes including Hannah Montana, Camp Rock and High SchoolMusical. Disney Store focused on kids ages 6 and younger last year.

"Kids are watching these shows every day on the Disney Channel,"she said. "They want to be Hannah Montana."

It's the year of Star Wars at Toys "R" Us, with several costumescoming from characters in "The Clone Wars," said Robert Giampietro,senior vice president for the toy store chain.

Besides superheroes like Batman, Spider-Man and the Hulk, a PowerRanger, Indiana Jones and Transformers are popular. Girls arechoosing Supergirl and Batgirl, along with fairies and princesses,he said. Perennial top-sellers include witches, skeletons andninjas, according to iParty.

Adults

Halloween on a Friday bodes well for the adult costume business,said Perisano; more people are apt to host and go to parties.

Men are dressing up as knights and Sugar Daddies, while women aregoing for something more sexy and reavealing like acleavage-showing nurse costume, he said. On Amazon, it's aboutpirates, with a wench and swashbuckler as best-sellers.

And as with any election year, political costumes are also on top.

In iParty's plus-size category, top costumes are a Mafia Mama andan emergency room doctor, while Amazon's list includes a beerbottle for men and a sexy school girl costume for women. Halo 3 anda sexy Marilyn Monroe are also popular.

Couples costumes include a plug and socket, ketchup and mustard,bacon and eggs, Fred and Wilma Flinstone and a Love Guru and HippieChick.

Pets

Fido and Kitty won't be left out this year.

Amazon is offering costumes for dogs and cats, ranging from Dorothyto Yoda. Other popular pet costumes are a princess, bumble bee andthe devil.

Anya Waring, spokeswoman for Amazon.com , said some businesses allow pets, which is a great opportunity todress them up for Halloween.

"There's probably a lot more dogs following their kid owners aroundtrick-or-treating as well," she said.