With Halloween just around the corner, everyone is searching for a cool, hip costume to out-do everyone with. Party City has been the place to go for all Halloween necessities, but over the past few years, its popularity has been slowly dying out. This year, they may have brought out some killer costumes that can help bring them back to the top.

   The first costume listed on the teen girls’ page is a Wizard of Oz-inspired scarecrow dress. The model sports the short dress with a pair of fishnets, knee socks, and a hat to top it all off. The design is simple and cute, with a few patches of fabric on the dress to add to the “old, beaten scarecrow” effect. It still manages to look good while getting the idea across.

   Following the scarecrow are two Care-Bear costumes. Personally, I was never a fan of the Care-Bears, so these outfits were already unsettling to me. There are two versions to choose from: Funshine in yellow or Good Luck in green. Both consist of frilly tutus, a top with the bear’s symbol on it, and striped socks. As if those were not enough, the costumes also come with hoods that have ears and gloves in the shapes of paws. These costumes are extremely out of their age range and just plain tacky.

   When I searched “teen boy” on the website, the first result that came up was a Slenderman costume. I have seen many people dressed as Slenderman, but I have never seen a costume as committed as this one. The body-suit is designed to look like an actual suit, saving the wearer time and money from having to go out and get fitted for an actual tuxedo. The outfit includes gloves with long, sharp fingers, the kind that will really give people the heebie-jeebies. Of course, Slenderman is not Slenderman without the anonymity, so a white mask made of what looks like the same polyester material as the suit is provided as well. This costume may come with the risk of suffocating, but it is worth it to be the coolest kid at your neighborhood Halloween party.

   Overall, the majority of costumes on Party City’s site were gaudy and predictable with maybe a few acceptable exceptions. If you are looking for something that will really knock the socks off of all your friends and family, I suggest turning to a DIY project for something cool. You could probably make your own costume and have it look better for a cheaper price than what Party City has to offer.