Monday, November 1, 2010

Halloween Trends Part 2

             Halloween is such an exciting and fun time of year for everyone, but especially for college students at UK.  The UK students love taking part in this holiday whether it be from decorating their dorms and apartments to going to haunted houses and watching scary movies.  But its seem that the most important part for students is what they will be dressing up as!  We saw an array of costumes for girls some of the most creative being Lady GaGa and Katy Perry; to as simple as throwing on a sports jersey or being a cowgirl.  The guys on the other hand tried taking a funnier route to costumes.  While out, we came across a guy dressed up as the house from the movie “Up”, as well has team x-blades from the Disney channel movie “Brink.” There were a wide variety of costumes from scary to funny to just all around creative.  No matter what people dressed up as they all looked great!

              Another huge event that happens every year during Halloween is the trend of seasonal pop up stores.  A popular one here in Lexington, is Halloween Express. They have more than 10,000 costumes, masks, accessories, and decorations in there store.  There selection ranges from toddlers to teens and adults.  The prices were a little high, so if students did not want to pay for their costumes, hand made costumes were huge!  Economically, seasonal stores are very smart because most people only need costumes once a year, so when we do need costumes our seasonal Halloween stores are there for us.  This year there were two Halloween Expresses near us.  There was one on E New Circle Rd and E Reynolds Rd.   Soon these Halloween seasonal stores will most likely turn into Christmas seasonal stores, so we will have to wait another year to start looking for next years costumes!

60 comments:

Anonymous said...

Although I didn't stay in Lexington for Halloween this year, I did see some great costumes this year. I tried going as Lady GaGa, but I guess you could say I didn't have the body to pull off some of her extreme looks; I did see a lot of her. I also saw a lot of Snooki, from Jersey Shore, costumes and they were cuh-yute! Some girls did just make their own costumes and with stars like these, it was pretty easy to put together something really simple, as Snookie, or something really bizzare, like GaGa.

alexis fentress

Cara Richardson said...

I also saw some pretty interesting costumes this year! Guys always seem to have a little bit more creativity with it, however. Some guys were dressed up as Lady GaGa, pacman, or Katy Perry. There were definitely some more interesting ones, but these just stood out. Girls are always dressed up cute! Both of those Halloween Express stores are huge with their product selections but the downside is that some stuff is a little pricey.

Julie Sutton said...

I love Halloween because you get to see people dressed up as creative and funny characters or other such things. Many students dress up all weekend in different costumes. I saw many guys in a wide range of costumes from housewives to characters like Lugi and Mario. Girls also got very creative by wearing costumes representing famous pop stars and even frat boys.
Julie Sutton

Kate Gaston said...

The thing i loved most about this weekend was seeing how other students got creative with their costumes. After seeing all the neat ideas, my friends and I came up with things we wish we would have been! I was surprised at how many guys went all out with the craziest and funniest costumes. One of the funnier ones I saw was a group of boys dressed up as the Jersey Shore girls. Halloween was a great weekend for all students to have a great time on campus.

Anonymous said...

I love the post about Halloween! I had a feeling Borg our posts would be the similar to each others, but it's common sense to use Halloween express and a picture of someone dressed up. Halloween was great! I enjoyed everything I attended.
-Amber Olinger

Anonymous said...

Halloween is so much more fun in college. You get to see alot more homemade costumes (majority of college students are poor) and some are so creative. As for the store bought costumes, I saw alot of Lady GaGa and superhereos.
Kerri Prichard

Mallory Patrash said...

I love Halloween!! I went to Chicago this year and I dressed up as Katy Perry! My boyfriend and his friends were the ghostbusters. I love Halloween pop up stores! I usually make my own costume but I always need a wig or accessories and these stores always help me complete my costume.

Anonymous said...

I love Halloween! It's a pretty big deal for me and my friends to figure out what we are all going to be. Usually I try to make my own costumes by throwing together a bunch of stuff I already have or by borrowing from friends. Halloween Express has some awesome costumes but 60-80 dollars for a cheaply made costume is out of my price range. Plus I think it's a little more creative to make something yourself.
-Paige Hofmann

Levy Bui said...

Pop-up stores are huge this year! There were so many that I've noticed around Lexington. I think the idea of pop-up stores is such a good idea! It saves the retailer money from paying for rent or other fees during the season that may not be as big for them!

Young J.U.I.C.E. said...

Its really interesting to see the creative costumes that people make themselves. A costume I would have loved to see is the person who dressed up as a house from the movie "Up". I also like when couples dress up, because their costumes compliment each other and show you their unique styles.

Margo Cain said...

Pop up stores were huuuuge this year in Lexington. I'm from Northern Kentucky and we only had 2 last year so it was interesting to see how these pop up stores opened more locations to meet local demand. I love seeing everyone's unique costumes through Facebook pictures. I also found it interesting that this being my first time in Lexington for the Halloween season, that there were LOTS of out of towners that came to participate with us. Several kids from surrounding colleges and even some from Northern Kentucky came down to strut their costumes. I love Halloween :)))))))

Alyssa Allen said...

There were a lot of interesting costumes this year. Unfortunately I'm not very crafting so I ended up paying too much for a simple costume from Halloween Express. I completely agree that they are a little too pricey. I love seeing the creative couples costumes on Halloween, especially when they are homemade.

Anonymous said...

Halloween is such a fun time of year! I heard LADY GAGA's costume was the most sold costume at Walmart this year...pretty interesting. Whether you make a costume or buy one, striving to stand out and be something you've never seen before is always fun!
-Kyrie Cloud

Anonymous said...

I love creative costumes! One of my friends went as Snarf from the movie "Thundercats". Halloween is such a fun time of the year, and it's also a big time for retailers. Specialty stores like Halloween Express are so successful because they can afford to sell the random specialty items that you're looking for. Good job!

-Lauren Brickey

Unknown said...

Halloween pop up stores are a great addition to the halloween holiday, as soon as you start seeing them pop up you know its time to get cracking on the halloween costume, it really gets you in the spooky day spirt! I love homemade costumes the best its quite funny to see what all people can trow together to create a costume. My next door neighbors was my favorite, she was a luffa haha, and used white shiny balloons as bubbles, it was quite cute!
-Jillian Dunaway

Erin McGee said...

Honestly, I think college students have more fun with the Halloween holiday than do people of other ages! It is inevitable for there to be multiple festive parties to attend that are always a lot of fun. One of my favorite things about Halloween is getting to see everyone in their costume and getting to see how creative people get! I am always taken by surprise by some of the things people come up with. Halloween is just always so much fun!

Erin McGee

Brooke said...

Halloween is a festive time of year and a time to let your inner child shine through. Since we are to old to trick or treat, dressing up as the latest movie star or character is a fun way to show off our creativity. I saw a lot of great costumes this year.

Brooke Stone

Marissa Payne said...

I love to dress up for Halloween. And Im so glad I didnt see anyone dressed up like me. I dressed as a bride, Many costmes I saw were animals and celebrites. Occasional pop ups stores are great businesses. They only have to pay for the revune for a certin time and during this season everyone is looking for hallowen decorations and costumes.

Maggie Peddicord said...

I saw sooooo many Lady GaGas this year! But most were homemade, and it was interesting to see the different perceptions and visions everyone had of her! I also saw a insane amount of Snookis from Jersey Shore. Snookie was usually accompanied by The Situation, of course, and occasionally the rest of the gang. I personally like the homemade costumes the best because they provide so much variety, and they provide for costumes all across the board!

Morgan_Clark said...

Halloween is the best time of year. Dressing up is so much fun. I saw so many cute costumes. The girls on my floor were very creative and dressed up as safe cats and the months of the year. I also liked how you all talked about pop up stores and how that part of retail was mentioned.

Erin.Creelman said...

I love going out on Halloween to see all the different costumes people choose! Its fun to see the people who dress creatively instead of the original firefighter and police man. Its fun to go into all the pop up stores like Halloween Express and see all the new costumes that are popular for that year.
-Erin Creelman

danielle.custer said...

I stayed here for one night of Halloween and went out of town for two and i saw some amazing costumes! Some were so creative and did even cost any money! I didn't spend any money this year and made two of my costumes and borrowed another. I didnt realize until reading this blog how many different places there are for affordable halloween costumes! Ill definitely keep that in mind for next year!
-Danielle Custer

Anonymous said...

I actually went to Halloween Express this year to look through all the costume possibilities. They had a very large selection ranging from Indian costumes to french maids. I attended a few costume parties which were fun, but I really enjoyed the haunted house I attended with the rest of the cheerleading squad last weekend. Carving pumpkins to decorate is also a lot of fun!

-Olivia Rink

Anonymous said...

Even though I like to make my own costume every year, I ususally will go to a store like Halloween Express to get all kinds of different ideas. And because there was a Halloween Exress close to where I live I was able to get the accessories I needed to complete the look! I think it's a great idea to have the pop up stores during the Halloween season.
Christine Wolfzorn

Anonymous said...

Although I went home for halloween i did see some interesting costumes this year. Lady gaga was a big hit as well as Katy Perry. My favorite part of Halloween is seeing all the cute kiddies dress up! Halloween is my second favorite holiday to Christmas. I cant wait to see if the Halloween express stores turn into Christmas stores for the upcoming holiday season.


Elizabeth Griffith

Anonymous said...

Halloween has to be one of my favorite holidays of the year! This year I dressed up as a pair with my boyfriend and we went as Alice in Wonderland, he was the mad hatter and I was the queen of hearts. Dressing up is still fun even of we are in college :)
-Cortney Hockenbury

Bethany said...

I definitely agree that the guys go as funny costumes! I saw a ton of hilarious costumes, from both girls and guys. It such a fun holiday you never know what you will see honestly.
-Bethany Davis

Anonymous said...

This Halloween certainly must have been big for retail stores. With the weekend long celebration, many people chose to buy more than one costume. I cannot even count how many people I saw dressed up on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Many of my friends also chose to use different costumes for each night.

-Rob Stromquist

Anonymous said...

I live in Keeneland Hall, which to my surprise they were pretty festive during Halloween; they decorated with jack-o-lanterns and had a Halloween Ball. Not only did they have a dance, but they also had trick-or-tricking on Halloween at 5 p.m. I was sad not to be home to give out candy, but being in Keeneland Hall was second best.

-Kayla Sienkowski

Anonymous said...

I like how you all talked about costumes that you really liked in particular and I too, saw those same people at our date party. Also touching base on Halloween Express was a good section of this piece because it talks about how many people make homemade costumes versus buying costumes. It is so pricey, which is why I prefer to make my own costume on a budget.

-Elena Jones

xox, Layla said...

Haha those are my good friends that dressed up as team x blades. Their costume was very original and I also saw many original/funny costumes all weekend. Homemade costumes are always a good idea because the halloween pop up stores are pretty expensive usually.

Julie wallingford said...

It's so fun to see what the fraternity members are made to wear just to have fun. I saw boys from ranging from Rainbow Brite to Snooki to a pillow fight. Retailers definitely take advantage of this time of year, that's why certain seasonal stores do so well around this time, and it's great to see the change in merchandise once Halloween comes.

Unknown said...

Halloween this year was so much fun! I saw so many cute and one of a kind costumes. One guy I saw was dressed as a youtube video. This blog is right on point. I saw alot of homemade costumes, and store bought ones.
-Amanda Birch

Caroline Frederickson said...

College students this Halloween made use of their money by making cheap homemade costumes. These showcased the student’s creativity and individuality. For example, some of the homemade costumes I saw were avatar, Ash from Pokemon, and even Zenon from Disney channel.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

This year I chose to save some money and not purchase a costume for Halloween. Instead, I opted for wearing a costume I owned from before. I too felt most of the costumes found in the specialty stores were on the expensive side which is why I went this route. Clearly these stores are making a HUGE profit margin on the items they sell because the demand for costumes is so high in the weeks leading up to Halloween that they can afford to charge very high prices.

--Kasey Paterson

Unknown said...

Even though I made my own costume and didn't purchase one, I actually did travel to the Halloween Express this year. I ended up buying some neon face paint for my homemade costume. The store was crazy; it was so busy! I even went a few weeks before halloween. I think that is perfect that they are a pop-up store only selling things around halloween. They would waste a lot of money if they were located there year round.
-Abby Hurley

Nicole Bentley said...

I love being creative for Halloween. I wanted to step out of the box of the many costumes at Halloween Express and put something together myself. Seeing everyone get in the spirit for Halloween by dressing is great. It makes me think we are one step closer to Christmas :)

Drew said...

I think the funny costumes are always the best. I really like how people use current when deciding on a costume. I saw a couple this year that was Tiger Woods and his ex-wife and I died laughing. I think Halloween is a great time for people to be creative and show some more of their personality.

Drew said...

Previous post was posted by Drew McCombs

Nicole Benz said...

Halloween is such a great holiday for people to have fun and showcase their creativity. I think the funnier the costume the better. Buying from the store seems like a last resort if you are willing to spend the money on an overpriced costume. But for people that plan ahead, it's fun to be as creative as possibly and involve current issues with your costume. One I thought about being this year was an oil spill but I thought maybe too many people would have that idea.
-Nicole Benz

Anonymous said...

Halloween is always a fun time on college campus. Its an excuse for everyone to dress up and have a good time. I agree that the funnier costumes are the most appealing to me. I saw many people dressed as the same charachter, however, its nice to see the different versions and twists that people incorporate into thier costumes.

Luebab Ahmed

ashley.holley said...

Pop up stores were big this year i saw many around lexington this halloween season. There were also many creative and unique costumes this year its always fun to see what people are going to come up with year after year. Although there were many pop up stores around i felt like quite a few students choose to save money and make there own costumes which was interesting!

Lucy Klausing said...

I enjoyed seeing all the costumes this year. There were lots of Lady Gaga's, and I actually saw the brink skaters rollerblading down Columbia. Halloween is a fun time, and each year there is always one costume that is a big hit. This year definitly snookie or jersey shore was huge. Halloween Express, although expensive, has great costumes as well.

Abby Theobald said...

Another creative costume I saw this year that was similar to the team x blades costume was the legends of the hidden temple teams. I thought that was very creative! I also saw a lot of lady gaga's and a lot of cave women/men. A group of my friends all went as different birds and I thought that was a very creative costume. Halloween always proves to be a favorite holiday among students, and I think the more creative you can be with costumes the better!
-Abby Theobald

Danielle Haddad said...

I always enjoy seeing what new costumes trends each Halloween brings. There were LOTS of Lady Gaga's and superheroes. My favorites were topical ideas and polarizing pop culture figures. And animal print is not just for fall fashion this year, there were lots of jungle cats at all the parties.

Raegan Kuchar said...

Seeing the new costumes each year is really exciting! I absolutely loved the new ideas and was amazed at how creative people have become with putting their costumes together and the things people can come up with. Students at UK always keep us on our toes and never disappoint.

--Raegan Kuchar

Anonymous said...

I didn't dress up this year or halloween but there def were some good costumes out this year. Usually i get into the holiday more but I had to work all day instead. I usually try to make my costume but maybe next year I'll hit up halloween express for my costume.
-Rebecca Ramos

Aubrey Garrity said...

I absouletely love Halloween and dressing up for it! It's the one time of the year when you can dress up fun to go out! I really love the guys who dressed up as brink from disney channel, and i was a cowgirl also this year because i didnt want to go out and spend money on a costume! I think having a halloween store just for the holiday is so great since its only once a year too! I'll have to go next year!

Anonymous said...

I love the idea of the pop up stores during halloween! It's a great way for the company to save money since most people do not need costumes year round! I also like to go there to see what is popular for this year!
Jessica Stockdale

Rohan Johnson said...

That hilarious that they dressed up as brink. Just reminds me of the Disney movies I used to watch. Halloween really allows people to be something out of the norm or there favorite athlete or public figure. Might have to go to the Halloween store next time early to get a good costume!

Emily Mahonski said...

I think it is so much better coming up with a clever costume and making it yourself. Those Halloween stores are way over priced and can charge so much because they know people will need costumes last minute. And I love the Brink idea!!

Anonymous said...

It's crazy all the different costumes you see in lexington and everywhere! This year i had to make my own costume because me being a college student i am broke. So when i don't have the money to go to halloween express it really helps when you can just throw something together. But it is a lot of fun to see all the outfits that people have bought. They're very creative and always creative.

-Adria Hearn

Jordan Jenkins said...

There were so many interesting and creative cosumtes this Halloween. Lady Gaga was the most popular out of all the ones I saw. There were many clever ones too! I saw a "deviled egg" costume where a girl dressed up as an egg and wore devil ears..I thought that was very clever and creative! I love going into Halloween Express every year and looking at all the costumes as an idea of what I want to be/make for my costume!

--Jordan Jenkins

Maggie Camp said...

I dressed up as lady Gaga for halloween and it was so fun! she wears the most bizarre outfits, so it wasnt hard to put something crazy together. All i really had to buy was a blonde wig and crazy sunglasses and then whatever else i found worked out! I just love seeing all of the costumes that everyone comes up with every year!

Anonymous said...

Meredith Gross

I was at this halloween party that the xblade team was at! I thought it was so original. I also think this blog goes along greatly with what we have been discussing in class, about pop up stores. Halloween Express is a very well known pop up storel, so I think that was a good decision for a second picture!

Anonymous said...

I love love love the first picture on this blog! those costumes of the roller team are hilarious! I completely agree when the blog talks about how guys usually like to take the humor route when picking a costume. you dont see very many men dressed up trying to look 'sexy' or 'handsome', they always leave that to the girls!!

lauren Farinelli

Kirsten Moss said...

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. This was a great idea for a blog because although most of us don't trick or treat anymore we still dress up in costumes. The picture is great and the blog is good overall.

Anonymous said...

I love Halloween and the variety of costumes that people choose to wear. I kept it simple and wore a Saints Jersey and was a "football player." I think that this is a very simple costume that is easy to throw together. I spent time looking at a few different Halloween retail stores looking for a costume but came to the conclusion that unless I was willing to spend $50.00 that I would need to come up with an idea on my own. It is crazy to me how expensive costumes become around this time of year. Almost immediately after Halloween the prices of costumes drop to a reduced sale price.
-Anne Hart Atchison

Mahaleigh Wheatley said...

First of all the first picture is cute. I love the creativity, none of them have typical costumes. Second Halloween express is one of my favorite stops even if I'm not going to buy anything. Its one of the best stores, its so well decorated.