Halloween Trends 2011

So Halloween is fast approaching and if you're like me, you are wondering what FANGtastic things are gonna hit the stores this year. Or maybe you have a favorite icon of Halloween, and you can't wait to see this year's unique interpretations of it. My favorite icons are the Witch, the Owl and the Black Cat of course!
So what will be the hot trend in costumes this year? Any guesses? Well I did a little research on the 2011 Halloween trends, and here is an incomplete list of what I managed to unearth. A little consumer sneak peak at what we can expect in the days ahead....
1. Halloween should continue to be a strong market for retailers. However I did learn something interesting that confirmed my observations from 2010. It seemed to me and others, that the Halloween merchandise took longer than normal to make it to the store shelves last year. Apparently that wasn't just our imagination, as retailers have found that the season begins slowly and builds to a fever pitch several days before All Hallow's Eve. Therefore, this coming year we may see stores having lighter inventory in the early days, but getting in more bulk as the month of October progresses. In fact, I read that the shopping season will become more condensed, as the last 5 days will account for 50% of total sales for the whole Halloween season. Wow...really? Well I don't want it condensed, I want it expanded dang it!
2. The Halloween trends and products we should be seeing more of this upcoming season include my favorite the 'Owl', as well as the continued popularity of all things 'Vampire'. 'Steampunk' may also begin to make it mainstream this year which I would love to see happen. Also expect to see 'Shocktails' for adult parties, and more floor to ceiling 'Scene Setters' to transform your party pad into something eerie and other-worldly.
3. The news may not be that great for those of you who love 'gore' however! The experts say that Halloween merchandise is moving away from the 'grotesque' and trending towards the 'cute' and 'fun'. A little fact that I found particularly interesting was that this trend is greatest in the warmer states, ie the South. Obviously that includes me, and several of you all as well. So why might that be you ask? Well apparently we just are not hard core enough I guess. The report said that retailers are 'limited' down here with the merchandise because we really don't like 'scary' stuff....so to be safe they should stick to more 'cheerful' Halloween goods down here. Ha! Really? I may not exactly love blood, but I do appreciate scary and authentic looking Halloween decor.
4. Other decorating trends are the tried and true 'Vintage' decorations we all remember and love from the days of yore. And I for one, would appreciate more items in this category. The 'Vampire' trend will offer up 'Filigree Designs' and 'Fancy Flourishes', with the 'Goth' vibe remaining popular. Also 'Retro' candy is big, as nostalgic Baby Boomers search for sweets from their past, like wax bottles and candy cigarettes.
5. Color trends will ALWAYS be dominated by the Orange and Black, and rightfully so. But we will begin to see a 'Traditional with a Twist' trend emerging in the marketplace. The nostalgic Orange and Black will be infused with new bold colors like intense blue, hot pink and purple. Now I don't know about ya'll, but I've seen a proliferation of 'glitter' in the Halloween goods the last couple of years, and I'm not 100% sure how I feel about it. I mean I do love glitter, but there is definitely nothing 'scary' about it. Maybe for a more sophisticated look perhaps? They did say to expect lots of 'Sequins' though.....hmmmm, sequined skulls and jack o'lanterns?! 6. And last, but not least are the Costume trends for 2011. As usual, movies help dictate some of those trends. And just as 'Alice In Wonderland' was big in 2010....the newest 'Pirates of the Caribbean' will make 'Pirates' popular again for 2011. Forecasters also say that vampires, zombies and werewolves will be popular. But do those ever really go out of style when you're talking about Halloween? Although the most interesting prediction was that 'Steampunk' will make it mainstream this year. In fact, they said that retailers who fail to incorporate a 'Steampunk' section into their store, will be missing a huge opportunity. Alas, the largest demographic in costume buyers are the 20-somethings, and they will be looking for retro character costumes from when they were kids. Think 'Green Hornet' and the 'Green Lantern'.

Well, that about sums it up, and it seems we have lots of great things to start looking forward to as we countdown to Hallowe'en! Do any of these ideas and trends repulse or resonate with you? I personally love the whole 'Steampunk' theme...but I'm not sure the older folks will quite know what to make of kids sporting that kind of attire. Maybe it's better suited for hipper, young adult parties?!
(SteamPunk Collage © PaperandCake)