Last Halloween, with customers going goo goo for pop star Lady Gaga, Reanna Jacobs couldn't keep enough leotards, majorette uniforms and glittery garb on the racks of her Southwest Baltimore vintage clothing warehouse. This year, customers have switched gears and gone retro.
Credit a myriad of factors: individuality, penny-pinching due to the economy, eco-consciousness, or the retro craze. Whatever the reason, vintage stores traditionally offer an eclectic collection of clothes, which make them perfect for those wanting to stand out from the masses' cliche Halloween costumes. And with the grab bag of possibilities that this year's retro-inspired costumes have caused, customers will find themselves with plenty of options.
"When people come in they are saying, 'What do you have from the '70s and '80s?' " said Angela Grube, owner of the Hampden vintage clothing store 9th Life. "It's kind of awesome. [The looks] are all over the place. We don't have four of the same outfits. No one will be wearing what you have on. That's the beauty of it."
"Mad Men" cocktail parties, '80s-style proms and '70s disco-themed parties are the most popular this season, according to vintage store owners.
"Mad Men is still huge," said Shane Gullivan, owner of the Towson store Ten Car Pile Up. "The guys think that whole skinny tie look is cool."
Two-piece dress suits accentuated with fur trim, suit jackets with a narrow lapel and narrow-brimmed fedoras are surefire ways to achieve the "Mad Men" look, according to Gullivan.
"It's always a cool look," he said. "It's very fitted."
But '60s-era clothes can be hard to find due to such high demand, according to Jacobs, who owns DeBois Textiles Inc. in Pigtown. People unable to get their hands on duds from the '60s are looking to more recent times for inspiration, she said.
"Everybody is having an '80s party or '80s prom," Jacobs said. "Stonewashed denim and denim dresses are popular. Prom dresses in general are big."
For the '80s look, Gullivan suggests a lot of sequins and oversized shoulder pads.
"Too much is not enough," he said. "Anything that has any kind of glitz on it is strong."
Jacobs will be dressing as a flapper this Halloween. She's drawing inspiration from her favorite show, HBO's "Boardwalk Empire."
"I'm loving it for the story, but I am loving it even more for the fashion," she said.
Customers at American Apparel, one of the nation's largest clothing manufacturers, are going the more traditional route when it comes to picking out Halloween costumes. That means puppet masters, superheroes, strippers and Lady Gaga are particularly popular this year, according to Ryan Holiday, the company's marketing and Web strategist. In recent years, American Apparel — which has a location in Federal Hill — has added more vintage clothes to its inventory.
"Halloween is unquestionably one of American Apparel's biggest months," Holiday said. "We think this is because we encourage our customers to try to be creative, and instead of pushing our ideas on them we try to help make theirs extra special."
Vintage clothes also serve a dual function, store owners agreed. Many store-bought costumes can't be worn again. Not so for clothes from yesteryear.
"The great thing is that if you break these costumes down, you can incorporate them into your wardrobe," Grube said. "You can wear this another day. It totally serves another purpose."
Gullivan suggests that customers incorporate a contemporary piece into their retro costumes.
"That will bring it into the now," he said. "The more eclectic look will work. It will blend itself easily."
In order to make the most of your vintage store purchases this Halloween, Grube suggests that customers purchase clothes that fit and are comfortable.
"I know Halloween is a time to get away with wearing things that are too big or too small," she said with a laugh. "Find something that will fit. Find something that is timeless and classic. Find a dress that not only fits for Halloween, but also something that you can wear to another event. Cocktail dresses have no expiration date."
Don't count on Grube to be draped in the fashions of the past decades, though. She's going contemporary.
"I'm going to be a character from 'Avatar: The Last Airbender,' " she laughed. "I have a 3-year-old. That's one of the things you have to do."