Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and in Luxembourg that changes everything: parties are planned weeks ahead, company events add to private ones, and the common sizes go well before 31 October. Here are the fifteen costumes that stand out this season in our two shops, based on what we actually see going through the till.
Contents
- The five characters dominating the season
- Five costumes for women
- Three safe bets for men
- Four ideas for children
- Make-up and accessories
- And the house?
- Three questions we get every year
The five characters dominating the season
Series and films decide what happens in the costume aisle far more than decoration trends do. This year, five characters come up in almost every conversation at the counter.
1. Wednesday Addams
Three seasons on from the series, she is not fading. The black dress with the white collar has one great advantage: it is immediately readable — no need to explain who you are. Add two braids and you are done — and if your hair will not cooperate, our Halloween wigs solve the problem.
2. Beetlejuice
The black and white striped suit is by far the most photogenic in the selection: you spot it from the other end of a room. It needs white make-up and heavy shadows under the eyes to work — without that, it is just a striped suit.
3. Pennywise
This is the 1990 version, the TV film, not the remake — puffier, more clown-like, and honestly more unsettling. It is the most expensive costume in the selection, and the one that comes back most often year after year: you buy it once and bring it out again.
4. Voldemort
The black robe and the mask do all the work. It is also the costume that works best for a family: one adult Voldemort and two children as wizards, and you have a coherent group without planning it.
5. Harley Quinn
She sails through the years. Red and black, two-tone pigtails, bat optional — this is a costume you can dance in, which is not true of every long dress on this list.
Five costumes for women
Beyond the licensed characters, it is the classic silhouettes that make up most of the sales. Here are the ones that move fastest on our shelves.
6. The skeleton dress
The best effect-to-price ratio on the list. A skeleton print on a black dress: it goes on in ten seconds, it can be worn all evening without getting in the way, and it photographs very well with flash.
7. The ghost bride
An aged white dress, a torn veil. It is the most elegant costume in the Halloween range — the one you choose when you want to be on theme without going bloody. A touch of fake blood on the collar changes the register entirely.
8. Day of the Dead
The Mexican calavera is the only costume on this page that rests entirely on the make-up. Allow three quarters of an hour in front of the mirror — but it is also the one that gets the most compliments, precisely because you can see it took work.
9. The vampire, curvy fit
We carry this range in a curvy fit all year round, and it is a request that comes up constantly: many websites offer nothing above a size L. Cape, high collar, teeth and accessories to add as you like.
10. The creepy doll
The fastest-rising register of the last two years. A ruffled dress, cracked make-up, a fixed expression: unsettling without being gory, which makes it wearable at a company party where a bloody costume would go down badly.
Three safe bets for men
For men, demand concentrates on three silhouettes. They have one thing in common: they work without heavy make-up, which matters when you are changing after work.
11. The vampire
The absolute classic, and it stays that way for a reason: cape, waistcoat, high collar, and that is that. Add teeth and a wig if you want to push it, but it is not necessary for the costume to work.
12. The orange prisoner
The most comfortable costume on the list, and the easiest to wear all night. It is also the best group costume there is: with five of you the effect is guaranteed, and nobody needs to coordinate in advance.
13. The voodoo man
Top hat, frock coat, skull make-up. This is the costume that stands out at a party full of vampires and zombies — the same effort, but nobody else will have it. Our Halloween hats go well with it.
Four ideas for children
One rule from experience above all others: a child keeps their costume on all evening if they can sit down, run and eat in it. Stiff capes and full-face masks almost always end up on a chair before eight o'clock.
14. The evil clown
This is our biggest seller in the children's range, year after year. Colourful and light, it is scary without being frightening to wear — a distinction that matters for the youngest.
15. Frankenstein's monster
Green, bold, recognisable from a distance. It stands up well to running and rain, which is no small thing for door-to-door trick-or-treating in Luxembourg at the end of October.
Two more safe bets by age: the pumpkin costume for 5-6 year olds (29,90 €), the easiest to put on and to keep an eye on in the street, and the vampire for boys (39,90 €), which takes over when the child starts finding the pumpkin too babyish — usually around eight.
The make-up and accessories that make the difference
The right make-up turns a simple costume into something truly scary: fake blood, latex scars, palettes and brushes are all in our make-up and special effects range. For three easy step-by-step looks, read our Halloween make-up guide.
For a bone-chilling stare, fancy contact lenses make all the difference. They are for ages 16 and over only: remember the solution and case, and follow the hygiene instructions.
Finally, one or two well-chosen Halloween accessories (hat, wig, mask, gloves or a sweets bag for the kids) are enough to transform an outfit. It is also the cheapest option: black clothes from your own wardrobe, a cape and good make-up already make a great costume.
And the house?
A great costume in front of a house with no decoration is an evening half done. Our light-up inflatables produce the most effect for the least work: the 2.70 m ghost (79 €) can be seen from the end of the street, and the light-up witch (59,90 €) frames a front door nicely. They inflate themselves in two minutes and fold back into a bag on 1 November.
To complete the look, our Halloween decorations range brings together cobwebs, garlands, themed tableware, animated decorations and Halloween balloons, filled with helium in store.
Three questions we get every year
When should you buy your costume?
The common sizes — M and L for adults, 5-6 and 7-8 years for children — go first, usually in the ten days beforehand. If you have a specific size in mind, mid-October is the sensible limit.
Can you try things on in store?
Yes, in both our shops. We strongly recommend it for long dresses and anything with a fitted cut: supplier sizing varies a great deal from one brand to another.
Rent or buy?
For a 30 or 40 € costume that your children will wear again next year, buying pays off. Renting makes sense for expensive or bulky pieces, and for mascots. Talk to us in store and we will tell you honestly what is worth it.
Come and see them
Everything on this page is in stock at the time of writing, and on display in both our shops: Hollerich and Junglinster. You can try things on, or order online and collect in store.