It’s October, and you know what that means – the Halloween season is officially here.
Halloween has always been the talk of the town in October, with many folks and Gen Z influencers taking a spin on their favourite fictional characters, from sci-fi aliens to superheroes and Disney princesses.
The annual hit Halloween costume often rides the waves of pop culture, closely linked to the release of blockbuster movies.
So, do you have any guesses on what’s stealing the show for this year’s top costume choice?
Here’s a hint: This Halloween, think more pink than orange.
One of the Most Popular Costumes This Halloween is a Barbie-Themed Costume
As the title suggests, Barbie has emerged as a standout choice for this Halloween’s most sought-after costumes.
According to The National Retail Federation (NRF), Barbie claims the third spot in popularity among adult Halloween costumes, following closely behind witches and vampires, while securing a place in the top 10 choices for kids.
Surprisingly, Barbie has never managed to crack the top 10 list for either age group in the entire period since the NRF began surveying consumers about their Halloween intentions back in 2004.
The soaring demand for Barbie-themed costumes can undoubtedly be attributed to the recent success of the Barbie film, which has amassed a whopping US$1.42 billion at the global box office today (2 October).
It is the top-grossing film this year, making Greta Gerwig the first American woman with sole director credit to have a movie surpassing the US$1 billion mark.
Bloomberg reports that American consumers are expected to dive into Halloween festivities this year, contributing to a staggering expenditure of US$4.1 billion (S$5.6 billion) on costumes.
This figure includes licensed costumes, unbranded replicas, and creative DIY interpretations. This spending spree is just one part of the larger picture, as Americans are projected to splurge a record-breaking US$12.2 billion on the holiday.
Drew Griffiths, the Divisional Vice President of Marketing and Social Media at Spirit Halloween, said that Barbie fever has seized this year’s Halloween scene.
Spirit has experienced an increase in sales, with some of its licensed costumes, such as the vibrant neon in-line-skating outfits for both adults portraying Barbie and Ken, already sold out.
To manage the high demand, they enforce a limit of two purchases per order for select costumes.
Major retailers, including Target, Walmart, and Amazon.com, offer licensed costumes to cater to the frenzy.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s marketplace is brimming with third-party sellers cleverly marketing unlicensed replicas of the film’s most sought-after looks, employing intriguing titles like “cowgirl outfits” and “movie cosplay dresses”.
Influence from Social Media
Barbie World has not just thrived during the Halloween season but has continued to captivate the world over the past few months since the release of the film.
This trend has significantly splashed the popular social media platform TikTok.
Here, beauty and fashion content creators share Barbie-inspired looks with their followers, offering everything from makeup tutorials to fashion items to resemble those seen in the film.
These outfits can often be sourced from more budget-friendly alternatives, with websites like SHEIN offering similar fashion pieces.
Barbie has been so popular that there are collaborations with several other famous brands that have been launched, many of which are available in the United States.
These brands include Cotton On with its Barbie-branded tees, Rubi with its Barbie footwear, Crocs, watch brand Fossil and more.
As Barbie keeps ruling the scene this year, let’s hope Barbie land stays in its lane. We wouldn’t want characters from different worlds messing things up.
