Boston Halloween Planner 2009
Updated: October 29, 2009
Explaining Halloween to the uninitiated--costumes, candy and the undead equal fun, right?--might unveil the holiday's vaguely absurdist nature. But don't let that get in your way of dressing up with abandon. Ensure your spooky silliness is up to snuff with our foolproof guide to everything you need for the big night, from costumes to props to confections. With our picks, preparing for Halloween in Boston (Oct. 31) will be a total scream.
Boston Costume Shops for Halloween
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Garment District
Read Reviews200 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139 (map)
A word of advice: Come early before everyone else in Boston gets the same idea precisely at the same last-minute moment. This haven for vintage transforms into the dress-up mother ship every year, especially with the revered Boston Costume business located in-house. Elaborate costumes, facial hair of all persuasions, dollar-a-pound wares and genuine retro clothing take stock in this mad, monstrous melee.
Oona's
Read Reviews1210 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138 (map)
Finesse your ensemble with a fitting accessory procured from this Harvard Square vintage stalwart. Peruse the costume jewelry (long Gatsby pearls? a gleaming pocket watch?), glasses (Lennon lives! Elvis is in the building!) and found treasures from powder blue tuxedos to flapper dresses. Kathleen, the owner, will make sure you find whatever you're looking for--the cozy space with treasures aplenty can get cramped and confusing fast.
Dorothys Boutique
Read Reviews190 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 02115 (map)
You don't even have to wait for October for the plethora of wigged-out fabulousness at Dorothy's, since it's a perpetual dress-up fest year-round. Halloween, however, is when the zany boutique truly shines in its delivery, with a hodgepodge of hats, costumes, makeup, glasses and all the transformative details you need, down to the last false eyelash.
Hidden Sweets
Write a review25 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138 (map)
Your arsenal of tricks should only be fueled by a bag of treats, no? From caramels to chocolate to jellybeans to gummies, this confection emporium delivers both bulk candy and boxed treats for any sugar-tooth craving. Halloween bonus: There's no shortage of gags and gewgaws for last-minute gifting.
Hootenanny
Read Reviews36 Jfk St, Cambridge, MA 02138 (map)
Most of the year, this unisex boutique is a go-to for denim, shoes and British-inflected streetwear, but come Halloween season, Hootenanny's over-the-top colors begin to bleed. To wit: outrageous shoes, cheeky-meets-fetishy costumes, kicky accessories from suspenders to caps and more types of hosiery than the eye can see.
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