Dressing the part
Time still available to put together a fun costume
By Monique Bhimani
Skiff Staff

If you think it’s too late to locate a Halloween costume other than a generic Harry Potter look-alike, you’re mistaken.

Located at I-30 and Forest Park Blvd, Magic Etc. is a Trick-o’-Treater’s paradise.

Rubber skeletons and goblins greet customers at the door, as they step into a small warehouse of everything Halloween. Glittering tiaras and gaudy jewelry lay beneath glass cases, while wigs and masks adorn the walls. Welcome to the Magic, Etc. Costume Company.

“The top-selling costume this season is definitely superheroes,” said Derek Kennedy, owner of Magic, Etc.

From the gory and gruesome to the elegant and extravagant, this is the one-stop Halloween shop. The store was packed Monday with dozens of last-minute Halloween shoppers, all searching for the ideal Halloween guise. Feather boas, decorative skulls and elaborate headpieces crowd the extensive outlet, causing a resemblance to an exotic flea market. Other hot costumes at the moment include those of pimps and hoes for couples, fairies and sexy costumes in general, Kennedy said.

“(The sexy costumes) are almost like those of strippers but not quite,” said Kennedy. “They still cover the main parts.”

For those who look to find that perfect costume on Halloween night, Kennedy said, don’t expect to find popular characters such as Batman, Catwoman and Marilyn Monroe. Though if someone is looking to go as a medieval princess, it could be done, he said.

Unlike stores such as Target or Wal-mart that carry a limited amount of Halloween costumes for sale, Magic, Etc. offers customers the option to rent. Customers who prefer to rent a costume of a better quality can expect to spend an average of $45, Kennedy said. The retail costumes sold go for a minimum $14 to a maximum of $75, Kennedy said.

“In masks the most popular is Mike Myers,” said Melissa Cowan, an employee of Magic, Etc. “In wigs, it’s long witch wigs that sells the most.”

Even at the last minute, Halloween celebrators can find things from 10-cent plastic spider rings to a $400 sarcophagus if they are willing to look hard enough.

“Be open-minded and creative,” Kennedy said. “If you do that, we can fix you up.”

Monique Bhimani