Characters recognizable even to very young TV watchers, such as those from the Teletubbies, Dumbo, Blue's Clues, Winnie the Pooh and Sesame Street are selling briskly. Another segment of the market that is now getting attention from costume designers, is that of the teenaged to college-age bracket. Edgy, sexy outfits appeal to this age group. Examples include rock stars, and characters inspired by the 'teen and 'tween' cult TV shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Charmed. One Halloween costume trend that is slowly gaining popularity is that of dressing up the family pet.
Outfits are now available for dogs of all sizes, and in some cases, for cats as well.
A glimpse of the offerings this year in pet supply catalogues and costume stores include outfits designed to turn canines and felines into superheroes, brides and grooms, cheerleaders, football players, vampires, devils, angels, rabbits, Santas, reindeer, and more. A recent survey found that eight percent of all households intended to dress up their pets for Halloween. Combing through the racks of costume stores yields a few answers. Titanic-inspired costumes have sunk for good. Ninja turtles are nowhere to be found.