A costume is a set of clothes you wear to represent someone or something. It can be as simple as a witch’s hat or ruby slippers, or it can be more elaborate, like the red velvet robe and wig worn by Santa Claus. Costumes can also be used to portray a particular time period or era, such as Dorothy in the neighborhood production of The Wizard of Oz, or a historical figure like George Washington.
During the Halloween season, pop-up Halloween stores erupt all over the country, taking over whatever vacant retail space is available, be it a former Babies R Us or the first floor of the American Express building in Manhattan’s Financial District. These stores set up shop in late summer or early fall, and a day or two after Halloween they disappear again for another year.
Spirit Halloween and Halloween Express are the two most well-known and established of these seasonal retailers, with stores in nearly every city and town across the country. These stores essentially offer the same products: costumes, accessories and decorations for your haunted house or office party. The main difference between Spirit and Halloween Express is that the latter offers a lot more out-of-the-box solutions for those who just don’t want to spend the time or money to make their own costume. The Halloween Express store also has a large selection of costume-compiling supplies, like wigs, fake blood and weird makeup that can complement your zombie, Lady Gaga or vampire look.