Business & Tech

Still Looking For Your Halloween Costume? Pop Up Stores, Consignment Shops, Have Tons of Options

The Spirit Halloween stores is now open in malls and towns around the region and consignment shops also offer affordable, second-hand options for costumes.

Halloween's fast approaching, do you have your costume yet? If not, don't panic, Patch has some options where you can go to find affordable, fun costumes.

People of all ages are trying to decide what to dress up as for Halloween and there are stores here and throughout the region where you can find traditional, and the not-so-tradition,Halloween costume.

First, there's the Spirit Halloween pop up stores that opened several weeks ago in numerous towns across the state and the region, including ones in Avon, Westfarms Center on the border of West Hartford and Farmington, Meriden and elsewhere.

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Called pop ups because they exist temporarily for the season, Spirit of Halloween also offers Halloween, accessories and decorations.

Some of the most popular costumes at Spirit this year include super-heroes for boys and Monster High outfits, based on the popular toy line, for girls.

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Adult men are choosing Ted outfits, from the recent film about a grown-up and uncouth teddy bear. Adult women are focusing on the Hunger Games film and book franchise for their costumes, according to Lisa Barr, senior director of marketing and creative at Spirit.

“When we see something is really hot, we gear up,” Barr said of the company’s stocking strategy.

Zombie outfits are another in-demand choice this year, Barr said. Spirit has zombie costumes for kids, teens and adults.

“The whole family can go out as a family of zombies,” she said.

Masks of presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are also selling fast in the election year. Barr said Spirit has correctly predicted the past four presidential elections based on mask sales. Currently, Obama leads Romney 65 percent to 35 percent of total sales in the decidedly unscientific poll.

“It’s an indicator but it’s all in fun,” Barr said.

Besides all sorts of costumes, from cute ones for kids to more risqué outfits for adults, in all sorts of sizes (Spirit stocks plus-sized men’s and women’s costumes), Spirit has gory decorations and set pieces as well as more child-friendly décor.

Spirit also has an associated nonprofit, Spirit of Children, which pays for and hosts Halloween parties for children in hospitals and makes cash donations. Customers at Spirit stores are asked to donate at the register. Barr said money donated locally stays in the area and 100 percent of all donations go to hospitals.

“We collect money locally and we give it back locally,” Barr said.

This time of year the store iParty also throws itself into all things Halloween, with costumes, decorations and accessories. You can find a local store by clicking here.

Another option for Halloween costumes are local thrift stores and consignment shops. Goodwill Industries stores sell new, used and create-your-own Halloween costumes and supplies. If you can't find a ready-made costume at one of the agency's many stores throughout Connecticut, you can shop the racks of donated clothes instead and create a costume for yourself.Here are some samples of customer creations from Goodwill Industries website.

Local thrift and consignment shops also typically sell second-hand Halloween costumes. Check the Patch Directory for stores near you.

Kmart Cromwell

Wal-Mart Cromwell

Middletown Goodwill


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