Outfits from recent movies, including The Hulk, Spider-Man and The Matrix, are hot for Halloween in the Tampa Bay area this year, as are skin-baring costumes for adults and teens that put a sexy twist on classics such as Heidi, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, and Little Bo Peep.
"People have spent the last couple years canceling parties and worrying about things like 9/11," said Lillian Vanderloop, manager of Features Costumes Inc. in St. Petersburg. "This year (Halloween is) on a Friday night and the economy is doing a little better, so I think people just want to dress up and go out and party."
Gwen Martin, assistant manager of the Spirit Halloween Superstore at the Hillsborough Galleria in Tampa, said it's been hard to keep pirate costumes on the floor. She attributes that not only to the Pirates of the Caribbean movie but also to Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans and the store's proximity to Raymond James Stadium.
"We've been very busy," Martin said. "It's been pretty consistent with last year, but people are definitely buying more costumes than decorations because they're planning to go out."
Danika Blunt, assistant manager of Party City of Largo, said business has been a bit slow thus far, but she expects it to pick up as the day of bewitching approaches.
"Parents always wait until the last minute," Blunt said.
Yvonne Bernard, owner of the House of Make Believe in Clearwater, has been in the business for 25 years and says this year's season has been one of the most unusual she's seen. Traditional costumes are being shunned in favor of retro getups. Icons from the '80s, such as the Smurfs, have seen a resurgence in popularity.
"People are going with a lot of feathers, wings and makeup," Bernard said. "They want to go back to a time period when things were less stressful. They want to relive memories of good times they had in school or college."
