Halloween — one of the only times of the year you get to be someone you’re not. But who (or what)? And where do you turn to for inspiration?
Pop-culture moments, especially the ones trending in the run-up to All Hallow’s Eve, are a perennial safe bet, although they might emerge from — and return to — relative obscurity in a short period of time. (Does anyone still remember 2009’s balloon boy?)
The National Retail Federation estimates Halloween spending in the U.S. on costumes and other items will hit $8.8 billion this year (impressive, but down slightly from $9 billion last year). According to this year’s survey, social media is the top source of costume inspiration, with women tending to pluck their pop-culture ideas from Pinterest and men turning to YouTube. (The survey didn’t include nonbinary gender identifications.)
Elizabeth Rogers, a spokeswoman for Elmsford, N.Y.-based Party City, also cited the importance of online buzz, noting that in addition to the evergreen costumes such as witch, vampire and superhero, what’s trending on social media determines what’s on the shelves of the retail outlets.
So if you’re in the mood for a ripped-from-the-headlines costume — or simply want to make sure you don’t show up at the party dressed like anyone else — here are five of-the-moment Halloween trends you can expect to see on the streets of West Hollywood and elsewhere come Oct. 31.