If you must have the hottest Halloween look this year and feel that Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Austin Powers are so over, then try the top costume houses, all of which claim to have the look this year.
Donna Doran, sales assistant at Western Costume’s Halloween store in the San Fernando Valley, says: “This year, female customers are renting the popular standards including witches, madams, 17th century courtesans, saloon girls and Josephine’s Napoleonic look.
But it is the men who are surprising Doran.
“Most men usually want to be cowboys, mavericks, pirates, clowns and centurions, but this year, our hottest look is the elegant French Court look. They love those ruffly collars and cuffs and sexy britches,” says Doran.
At Adele’s of Hollywood, owner Adele Saidy says her renaissance, medieval and Arabian night costumes are flying out of the shop, but none more than the “X-Men” costumes.
“Every little boy and his dad want to be ‘X-Men’ this year,” says Saidy.
Still others claim to have the hottest look. At Valentino’s in Van Nuys, owner Shon LeBlanc says the phones are ringing off the wall for gladiator costumes and that everyone wants that butch Russell Crowe look. LeBlanc saw the gladiator trend coming after the movie “Gladiator” and created unique costumes by taking Indian sari cloth in vivid colors and adding gold trim.
No less in demand is the Roman look for the ladies. LeBlanc says, “They all want that floaty, pretty Cleopatra look with those sexy plunging necklines.
