2008 Woodie Awards
Creative costumes
Ashlyn Stallings
Issue date: 10/31/07 Section: Expressions
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The 1930s marked the premiere of mass-produced Halloween costumes. Since then, Halloween has exploded into the sixth most popular holiday. The National Retail Federation reported that the most popular Halloween costumes are, in order, witch, pirate, vampire, cat, clown, fairy, gypsy, superhero and ghost.
Stephanie Huffstetler, manager at Party City, deals with Halloween costumes enough to consider herself an expert.
"The people that think up their own costumes are usually the most creative. [Last year,] I saw some people impersonate the band Kiss with the full get-up, and it was awesome," Huffstetler said.
Sharpay from High School Musical has been the most popular costume so far this year, Huffstetler said.
Not all store-bought costumes are current fads, though.
"I was a woopie cushion last year," sophomore sports medicine major Emily Aiken said.
On the other hand, not everyone wants to pay for a costume.
"All these people get really excited over their trendy, over-priced Party City one-wear costumes. My costumes come straight from my closet," junior accounting major James Lee said.
Lee said he has perfected the redneck look.
"My vintage Daisy Dukes couple nicely with either an itchy flannel shirt or a cutoff NASCAR shirt. Shoes are optional, but if you do wear any, you will want to go with either duck boots or cowboy boots," he said. He also said not to "forget about chest hair."
Sophomore history major Ellen Davis has come up with many cheap, creative costumes for her friends.
"Last year I turned my friend Christy into Hershey Bar girl. She had a Hershey Bar shirt and we just played off that. I just painted a mask on her face and made a cape out of fabric and pinned it to her," Davis said. "And my roommate was a black-eyed pea. It was really her idea. She put black eye shadow over one eye and duct-taped a 'P' on her shirt."