Frightful fun with
Doggie duds
Your pet retriever
By Kimberly Fu
is really Superman trapped
in a dog's body... this
Halloween, anyway
Special to the Star-BulletinIF you've noticed Rover eyeing your duds and looking especially dapper lately, it's not because he's been overdosing on reruns of Entertainment Television's "Fashion Emergency."
Get a clue: Shopkeepers peddling Halloween wares say the favorite kids dress-up day has gone to the dogs! Well, maybe more to the "owners" than pets themselves.
In the past, adults and kiddies were content to let Rover kick back at home while they went in search of free candy, a few laughs and maybe a chill or two. But in recent years there's been a flare-up of interest in allowing Rover to experience some of the joy of the season.
And to get fully into the spirit of All Hallow's Eve, Rover must have a costume.
Enter retailers offering cute-as-a-button costumes for four-legged wonders. Sorry, there's nothing available for Frankie Fish, Sammy Salamander or Tommy Tarantula ---- yet. But with a little creativity and imagination, darling Fluffy or rugged Rover can be almost anything they want to be.
Or anything you want them to be.
From dragons to Milkbones, ballerinas to Rambo, and chefs to Santa Claus or Super Dog, man's best friend has a wide range of stylistic choices come this Halloween. Some are elaborate, with tiny "jewel" details, lots of lace or accessories. Most are simple, with just a headpiece and body covering, often a cape."It's amazing how many people dress up their pets," said Party City manager Steve Young (no, not the San Francisco 49ers quarterback). "It's amazingly popular. Superman's sold out already."
Pet size and elaborateness of costumes dictate price. At Petland, basic pieces like a pair of reindeer antlers cost just $6. A witch costume, consisting of a cape and pointy hat, costs $10. Ela-borate get-ups, such as Rambo or Uncle Sam, can go as high as $20.
At Party City in Waikele, a simple Chippendale's male stripper costume, complete with requisite bow tie and cuffs, sells for $11.99. The Superman costume, with flowing red cape and chest insignia retails for $14.99. For the dog-who-would-be-Elvis, Hound Dog's royal purple-trimmed white jumpsuit with sewn-on guitar may do the trick -- and set you back about $20.
"The cheaper ones sell better," said Julie Fujita, Petland Ala Moana store manager. She said that people generally go for more inexpensive duds because pets usually wear them only once a year. They're willing to pay more for Santa Claus outfits, with coats ($21), hats and scarves (both $11) sold separately.
"You can take Christmas card pictures with them," she said.Michelle Yoshioka did. The middle school teacher's 1997 Christmas cards starred Kalia, her year-old retriever/German shepherd poi dog, on the cover. "It was so cute!" she said about the cards. Kalia had worn a Santa cap which slipped down on her forehead, almost covering an eye. Within a few seconds Yoshioka caught Kalia's woebegone expression on film. "Yeah, it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing," she said.
For the most part, Yoshioka said Kalia likes being dressed up. She donned a hotdog costume for this year's PetWalk, sponsored by the Hawaiian Humane Society, and is the proud owner of an angel costume -- as well as several colorful handkerchiefs made by Yoshioka.
Dayle Liu's dachshunds also enjoyed playing dress-up in their hot dog outerwear. "It was a sight," she said, laughing. The Humane Society volunteer, whose pooches placed second in the PetWalk's costume contest, said her normally hyper dogs "didn't try to take it off ... I was surprised."
Dixie Grill bar manager Jennifer Roberts said Ehu, her 5-year-old golden retriever, loves the attention brought on by her clothes. Wearing identical Dixie Grill sleeveless denim shirts, pooch and owner placed second in a look-alike contest held at the recent Pooch Party sponsored by the restaurant.
"She loved it. She didn't fight me," Roberts said. "She was totally cool. It was amazing! She was Miss Sociable at the Pooch Party."
But Ehu may be out of the Halloween loop this year since Roberts just found out she'll be busy on Halloween night. "I wanted to dress her up and take her around ... to all the haunted house things. But it looks like I'm gonna have to work."
Better luck next year, Ehu.
DOGS lucky enough to go trick-or-treating this year may just be a bit worried. The cause? Their escorts' costumes. So as not to embarrass them, here's the scoop on cool costumes for you. Don’t forget the
kiddie costumesAudrey Luciano of Treasure Island, a Halloween costume/thrift store owned by brother Gino-Bon, mom Laurinda (a.k.a. Blonde) and herself, said genie costumes and princesses are all the rage for females, while males favor "Scream"-inspired costumes, Power Rangers, ninjas and Zorro. All pieces Rover can be proud of.
People generally come in knowing what they want to be, Luciano said, and price does dictate their choices. From $20 kids costumes to $40 adult costumes to $100 accessories, such as an elaborately feathered Indian chief headdress, everything is available.
Sharalyn Rabang of Spencer Gifts at Ward Warehouse said her customers are money conscious, going for complete costumes rather than masks, "which are kind of expensive." Those that do buy masks do so because they already have another accessory at home to go with it, Rabang said. "Some like to mix and match."
Ryan Feliciano, floor manager at Party City, said price isn't always restrictive.
"Some people walk out of here with hundreds of dollars of stuff. It's just scary," he said. Costumes at his store range from $22 to $200, with genie, Zorro and "Scream" costumes selling fast.
Accessories are available, too -- browse through high-end disco balls, fog machines and black lights for the home, or low-end plastic axes, pitchforks, make-up.
A new item in stores this Halloween is the McDonalds line of costumery. Shakes, Big Macs and fries costumes are available, as are Ronald McDonald and the Hamburglar costumes. All are expected to do well, but "they haven't taken off yet," Feliciano said.
Wherever imagination takes you, rest assured that a variety of costumes await you, even if you're the No. 1 last-minute shopper.
