MELISSA DOWLING: Given that Halloween costumes these days are way more sexy than scary, it was only a matter of time before lingerie merchants got in on the action. Victoria’s Secret began offering a few Halloween costume items this fall. The cataloger/retailer’s racier rival Frederick’s of Hollywood has been selling costumers for some time; the company says Halloween season is already its third largest season, behind Valentine’s Day and Christmas.
In fact, Frederick’s in July announced three separate multiyear license agreements, including one with Mystery House Costumes. Under the deal, Mystery House will have the right to distribute Frederick’s of Hollywood licensed Halloween costumes and accessories throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia.
In other words, you’ll be seeing a lot more official FOH French maids, naughty nurses and sexy superheros at costume parties. Doesn’t anyone dress up as a witch or the Bride of Frankenstein anymore?
Some predict Victoria’s Secret’s Halloween fare will be more supermodel wannabe than streetwalker — though that will heavily depend on what it is and who’s wearing it. Still, you won’t win any prizes for costume originality in one of those getups, well, unless you’re a man. There’s nothing funnier than a man dressed as a woman (especially a French maid). I only hope these merchants are offering their costumes in extra large sizes.
The Best of the Big Fat Marketing Blog
If you haven’t been checking out the Chief Marketer Network’s blog, you should. These are some of the top posts from Multichannel Merchant editors in 2010.