VOA常速英语:Halloween Costume Frenzy Is in Full Force

WASHINGTON — Halloween is October 31. Every year, millions of Americans dress up in costumes and children go "trick-or-treating" for candy.

With Halloween less than a week away, costumes of all shapes and sizes are selling fast.

What's hot this year? Lorne Lucree of the famous New York costume shop, Ricky's, says flapper costumes inspired by the movie The Great Gatsby and hazmat [hazardous material] suits in the television show Breaking Bad.

"We are seeing both men and women actually are gravitating towards this since the finale of the show. So it is very popular,'' said Lucree.

Princess costumes, singers and the walking dead also are popular.

"I was thinking of being a zombie for this year, and I was looking up some tutorials of how to do the makeup and how to have the scars look really real,'' said Halloween shopper Laura Diaz.

On this holiday, originality is a plus, so accessories sell well.

"Consumers more and more are wanting a DIY [do it yourself] option to be really creative," said Lucree. "So, they might not want a costume in the bag, or they are thinking outside the bag actually."

Americans are expected to spend $2.6 billion on costumes for Halloween this year. And with pet costume shops also popping up across the country, Americans are expected to spend more than $300 million on scary fashion for their furry friends.