Halloween Costumes for 2011: Top Six Tips for Choosing the Perfect One!

It may seem like we just finished Christmas and you’re still hungover from a raucous New Year’s Eve celebration, but for the hard-working pixies at Plum Drama, it’s never too early to start planning your 2011 Halloween costumes. new category to our website a few months ago but we are already seeing a lot of interest from our website visitors in this category and with thousands of costumes to choose from all in stock and ready to ship we imagine 2011 will be the year that the Plum Drama costumes really took hold. To that end, we put together this buyer’s guide with tips to consider when selecting your 2011 Halloween costumes.

1. Choose the correct size. I can already see the no-duh meter hitting an all-time high with this suggestion, but often the simplest ideas are the best. When it comes to deciding on your Halloween costumes for 2011, don’t forget the shape. If you come up with the best, most original, or funniest idea, but it’s not available in your size, forget it and move on. I’ve heard too many horror stories about kids tripping over their costumes all night, or adults buying something so tight they can’t eat at the Halloween party they attend. Don’t be one of the many reporting a nightmare story like this and make sure you order a size that really fits you. Trust me, the balance between a properly fitting Halloween costume and one that’s just a great idea but in the totally wrong size always goes wrong in the right size.
2. Determine if you will be inside or outside. Again. Another basic. But the kind of Halloween costume you buy for your child to go trick-or-treating on a cold, dark October night is very different from the costume an adult might wear to an indoor party. For one, you want to make sure you don’t freeze to death or overheat, depending on what you choose to buy. Second, a bulky, heavily accessorized costume could take up more space than is appreciated at a large party. Similarly, these types of accessories become a huge liability if the wind starts to blow more than you might have planned. All environmental things to consider when selecting your 2011 Halloween costumes.
3. Determine how the costume will be worn. What I mean by this tip is that it’s important to consider if your Halloween costume will be exposed to harsh elements that could cause it to fall apart more than you might have anticipated. If it’s a children’s costume being bought for a school hall parade, this is a much different purpose than buying a costume for your child to run around the neighborhood for several hours. Be sure to take into account how tricky the costume can be when choosing Halloween costumes for 2011
4. Buy high quality now so a younger brother or sister can wear the same costume later. In this day and age, you really can’t be too strict with your money. Buying a Halloween costume is a luxury item for people who can afford it, so we recommend trying to stretch that dollar as much as possible by buying a costume that can carry over into the following year. Halloween costumes are much more durable and of higher quality than they used to be. For that reason, they last longer than you might expect. No one wants to wear the same costume year after year, but there’s nothing wrong with borrowing a costume from a friend or older sibling. When selecting Halloween costumes for 2011, consider whether what you’re buying can also be shared with someone else at a later date.
5. Homemade is still a good option, but so is mixing and matching. When I was a kid (which was a long time ago!), most people would go to their neighborhood fabric store on October 30th, and two scissor cuts later, you’re a ghost on October 31st! It’s not like that. These days, Halloween is much more elaborate than that. But we still believe that homemade is a great option, especially for those with little money, but a lot of imagination. If you’re thinking about Halloween costumes for 2011, make sure you think about buying some things, but making others. Putting it together provides originality and cost savings!
6. Halloween accessories can make or break a costume idea. Similar to the idea above this one, a great way to dress up or embellish any costume is through the right accessories. Whether it’s a sword for your Sir Lancelot costume, a wand for your Harry Potter or a tiara for your Snow White. It’s details like this that separate the truly original costumes from the ordinary, and will create a Halloween costume you’ll remember long past 2011.

As you think about your Halloween costumes for 2011, here’s one more tip that will ensure a great Halloween experience: Order early. Halloween costumes are usually made in limited numbers, so once they’re gone… they’re gone. So to make sure you get exactly what you want this year, follow these tips and order before we’re all gone.