Halloween costumes, accessories available for the big day
CHICO >> In 17 days, Halloween rolls around, and if you’re looking for a costume idea, there are several stores in the area to buy costumes and accessories.
Spirit
Spirit of Halloween, located at 2005 Dr. Martin Luther King Parkway. This chain has “a little bit of everything,” according to assistant manager Jill Casilla. The store’s inventory includes masks, wigs, costumes, accessories and more.
Casilla said this year comic book character Harley Quinn is a popular costume, as well as Hocus Pocus costumes. As far as masks, the scream face and bloody face masks are popular, and cops and robbers costumes.
As far as costumes for couples, cops and robbers are also popular and nurse and doctors, and 1980s themed costumes such as prom night getups.
Alter Ego
Alter Ego Costume Design and Rental, located at 121 West Fifth St., next to the post office. Christy Sullivan is the owner and she not only sells costumes but alters them as well.
Sullivan also supplies costumes for local theatre productions and for Oktoberfest and Renaissance fairs. She recently supplied the costumes for the play “Something Rotten” at Chico Theater Company and for “Cinderella” at Chico High School. On Thursday, Sullivan was busy altering an Elvis costume for a customer who is a huge Elvis fan and is planning to go to Las Vegas.
“We have costumes for every era,” Sullivan said. She has been selling and making vintage and custom made costumes since 1996. She said so far this year she hasn’t seen any trends in Halloween costumes. Eventually Sullivan would like to transform the store into an upscale boutique.
Sullivan has a few seasonal employees who help her out.
Black Smith Cosplay
Mark Gehrett, who has his own cosplay company called Black Smith Cosplay. Cosplay is a costumed activity for a favorite character and who poses for pictures and really taps into the mental state of the character made popular at events like Comic Con.
“My brother and I do cosplay events around town and go to events,” Gehrett said.
Gehrett said popular costumes this year are superhero costumes.
“I’ve had a few Black Panther costumes and a big one is Black Adam requests,” Gehrett said.
Gehrett has been making costumes for a little more than 10 years. He makes armor and large weapons. Gehrett said since 2016 he has been receiving more consistent Halloween requests. Last year Gehrett, who is involved with a couple of local organizations, made a costume for a child through the Wish Upon A Star charitable organization, which grants wishes to children with life-threatening diseases.
The little girl came to Gehrett and asked him to make a comic book character costume.
“She said the costume helped her through some of her harder days,” Gehrett said.
Gehrett said the next thing he is doing is working with a fan film group and doing props for them.
Black Smith Cosplay can be found on Instagram as @blacksmith_cosplay and on Facebook under Black Smith Cosplay.
Goodwill
To find costumes and accessories on a budget, a good store to visit is Goodwill, located at 765 East Ave. in Chico and 2150 Feather River Blvd. in Oroville. Goodwill is so popular for Halloween items that when answering the phone, associates refer to the store as “Halloween Headquarters.”
“Sales have been good,” said keyholder Anthony Johnson.
Goodwill sells a lot of vintage and latex masks. Johnson said when people come in to shop for Halloween items they know exactly what they are looking for.