Popular Halloween costumes range from sexy cop to pop culture references

Forget Angry Birds, Charlie Sheen and Steve Jobs. The most popular Halloween costumes this year may be a little more basic.

At Drac's Place in Westfield Gateway Mall, the top-selling women's costume isn't Snooki or Duchess Beatrice — it's a "sexy cop" outfit. Days before the last-minute costume rush, "Sultry SWAT officer" is already sold out, and co-owner Sandra Hernandez Frantz said she's placed two orders for CSI costumes.

Flintstone's costumes are also a big seller at Drac's Place, according to Hernandez Frantz. But she said the once-popular Wizard of Oz costumes are falling fast.

"It used to be everybody wanted to be Dorothy," she said. "Not this year. Nobody wants to be Dorothy."

At Ruby Begonia's, a vintage clothing store on P Street that sells and rents costumes during October, sailor outfits and bumblebee costumes are making a strong showing.  Wigs — both colorful and "anything that can pass for Lady Gaga" — are also big sellers, according to store manager Hannah Voelker.  She said the warm weather and a spirit for the daring nature of the holiday will likely encourage girls to show more skin this year.

"They go big or go home," Voelker said. "That's what holidays are for."

But not all girls are taking the sexy route.

"I'm going to be a sailor," said Jaimie Pruden, a junior music major. "But it's not gonna be sexy. I think it's strange and gratuitous to take regular everyday things like police officers and rabbits and make them into objects. It freaks me out."

For more modest shoppers, most Halloween stores offer ‘50s poodle skirts, flapper dresses and Cleopatra costumes — all good options for showing less skin, according to Voelker.

Going for a silly costume is another way to avoid showing too much skin. Sophomore elementary education major Crystal Stratman said she's thinking about going as "Thing One and Thing Two" from "The Cat in the Hat" with her roommate, because she "doesn't do sexy."

"It's just awkward," Stratman said. "It kind of makes everyone feel uncomfortable."

It may be difficult to tell what costume reigns supreme for men this year. According to Voelker, they haven't quite gotten around to deciding yet.

"Guys are always so last-minute," she said. "I don't even think I've rented (a costume) to a guy yet."

For when the men do show, Ruby Begonia's offers Halloween costumes for sale and for rent. The racks include everything from disco attire to a solitary Gorilla suit. Despite prominent displays of Michael Jackson costumes and Jersey Shore getups, Hernandez Frantz cited police uniforms and a "Droopers" costume — a play on the name of the popular restaurant "Hooters" — as two top sellers at Drac's Place.

"Guys like to keep it simple or funny," she said.

Sophomore math major Henry Mattern proved Hernandez Frantz's observation: He's going as head football coach Bo Pelini.

"I think he's pretty legit and a good coach," Mattern said. "I admire him."

Lincoln doesn't have a lot to choose from in the way of Halloween shopping. Drac's Place is the only locally owned Halloween business, and a few chain stores offer Halloween costumes and decorations.

Options or no, Americans will spend $1.2 billion on adult costumes this year, according to a Nation Retail Federation study. In the same study, "witch" came in first for most common adult costume, followed by pirate, vampire, zombie and "Batman" character. Movie characters also ranked high on the list: "Superman" character, "Harry Potter" character and "Alice in Wonderland" character were among the top 20 most popular choices. Movies offer more than a few costume ideas for students.

"I'm gonna be Tom Cruise in the dance scene from ‘Risky Business,'" said Aliana Keplinger, a sophomore English and psychology major. "We'll see if I actually go out in public like that."

jacymarmaduke@dailynebraskan.com