Shoppers Hit Racks For Perfect Costume

Students and area residents piled into local thrift shops and costume stores Wednesday, crowding the aisles to find last-minute Halloween costume ideas for Chapel Hill's most festive holiday.

Thrift shops Time After Time, located at 414 W. Franklin St., and Club Nova, at 103-D W. Main St. in Carrboro, both have experienced a constant stream of Halloween shoppers, especially over the last couple of days.

"There is a steady flow of people coming in to try and find something they can use," said Ed Hudgins, a Club Nova employee.

Laura, an employee at Time After Time, spoke over the noise in the crowded store Wednesday about suggestions she had made to undecided customers.

"I've suggested that people be a lion tamer, Bonnie and Clyde, and Hugh Hefner," she said.

The employees at Time After Time say they enjoy helping people who come into the store undecided about what they want to be, especially men. "Guys are much funner to dress, mostly because they are willing to be more goofy," Laura said.

Other stores around town also experienced the Halloween business surge.

Claire Hudzinski, an employee from Dance Design at 153 Rams Plaza, said last-minute shoppers were quickly buying up costumes and costume accessories.

"Our most popular costumes have been Spiderman, sumo wrestlers, gorillas, Austin Powers and pretty much all superheros," she said.

She added that wings are a popular accessory.

Sales were also on the rise at chain stores such as Party City at New Hope Commons in Durham. An employee there said the store has completely sold out of many of the more popular costumes. "The prisoner man, priest and nun costumes are the three most popular for college students," she said.

The store employees had mixed opinions about whether sales were down this year because of the struggling economy.

An employee at Party City said sales were unaffected by the economy, but Dance Design and Time After Time employees were not so confident. "It's going to be close," Hudzinski said. "I think people are watching their budget and putting more costumes together on their own."

Annie, an employee at Time After Time, said the economy definitely had a negative effect on sales.

But many still flocked to the thrift shop Wednesday to find costumes or add the finishing touches.

UNC freshman Hayes Holderness, a Time After Time customer, was in the middle of the shopping madness while buying the necessary items for his transformation into Frodo, the "Lord of the Rings" character.

"I'm picking up a jacket, shirt, pants and a vest," he said. "I'm going to try and get a sword and a ring also."

Sophomore Natalie Miller was also in Time After Time, looking for her Las Vegas girl costume. "I want to have a wand or cane or something," she said.

At Club Nova, Michael Chepul picked up an overcoat for his costume. "I'm going to be Inspector Gadget," he said.

Chepul plans to take a slinky and antenna pointer along tonight to help him step into his role.

The City Editor can be reached

at citydesk@unc.edu.