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Header image courtesy of @faceslap (via Instagram)
Originally published by Sophie Pettit. Last updated by Beverly Ngai.
Finally, the one night of the year when we can troll Lan Kwai Fong and Soho in a hideous outfit without anyone batting an eyelid is almost here. No, we’re not talking about Rugby Sevens—it’s Halloween and we’re about to get dark and dramatic with our freaky makeovers. Whether you’re on a tight budget or looking to go all out this spooky time of year, we’ve rounded up the best costume stores to help you make the most of it. Now there’s no excuse not to dress up!
From superheroes and mythical creatures to spooky zombies and spirits, this treasure trove of a costume shop on Stanley Street has been transforming customers into the character of their dreams since 2004. The shop’s carefully curated stock of the season’s most popular and on-trend costumes ensures that you will be sensationally dressed for the spooky occasion. If you are not ready to go all-out or just need something last minute, there are also a variety of Halloween accessories and individual pieces you can throw on as an easy way to get into the Halloween spirit!
Choi Chi Gift Shop, G/F, 42–44 Stanley Street, Central
Offering an extensive selection of fun costumes, wigs, masks, face paints, and accessories, FuneCostume has all that you need to create the ultimate Halloween get-up. You can get a complete costume set or mix and match with different pieces for a one-of-a-kind look. We’re particularly drawn to their high-quality Halloween horror masks. Intricately designed and frighteningly life-like, they are sure to give your friends a real scare.
FuneCostume, Room 33, C10–11, 1/F, Block C, Hong Kong Industrial Centre, 489–491 Castle Peak Road, Lai Chi Kok | (+852) 9075 353
Head to pretty much any one of Hong Kong’s bustling markets around this spooky time of year and you’ll spot a few stalls selling ready-to-buy costumes and accessories. Ladies’ Market, Wan Chai Market, and Temple Street Night Market are your best bet for finding fun costumes at bargain prices.
The old classics like Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Batman can often be seen hanging from the stalls along these markets, and more experienced hagglers have been known to get as much as 50 percent off the original price, so it’s well worth a shot. Keep an eye out for the amazing wig shops on either side of Temple Street Market, as they have all sorts of fantastic styles and colours on sale for a bargain buck.
Ladies’ Market, Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok
Temple Street Night Market, Yau Ma Tei
Wan Chai Market, 258 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai
If large crowds don’t freak you out (well, you are heading to a Halloween party, so we hope not), then Pottinger Street in Central is packed with stalls selling all sorts of weird and wonderful costumes to hire and buy, along with more accessories than you can shake a witch’s broomstick at. Whether you’re going for the sexy look (Wonder Woman or Supergirl, maybe?), or something more spine-tingling like a werewolf or a clown, you’re sure to find it here. Revellers on the skint side can also find wigs for around $70 to $150, feather boas for $15 to $20, and masks for as little as $12. A great place to head to if you left in until the very last minute to sort out your costume!
Can’t handle the crowds? For a hassle-free Halloween, and an absolute steal of a price, hop online at Taobao and snap up an amazing and original costume to scare the bejesus out of your buddies. There’s a reason the name of this Chinese eBay-like site translates to “finding treasure,” because it’s jam-packed with weird and wacky get-ups at super cheap prices that you can have delivered in less than a week.
From pirates and fairies to action heroes and cosplay—not to mention a hilarious sumo wrestler suit—you are literally spoilt for choice, and it's amazing what you can pick up for under $100. There’s just one catch: Taobao is all in Chinese, so if you don’t speak the lingo, it can be a mission. Another thing to consider is that they aren’t too generous on the size front, so it’s always better to order big.
Covering the hottest new eats, the best places to play, offbeat takes on local culture, and so much more, Localiiz is every Hongkonger’s destination for how to live a well-rounded life in our vibrant city. Why the strange spelling? Well, Localiiz is designed to be your “local eyes”—and for that, you need two i’s.
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