Photo by Shawn Macomber
Audio By Carbonatix
“This day anything goes,” Glenn Danzig croon-shouts on The Misfits’ classic anthem “Halloween” — and if that’s true, then why would we go to the same out-of-box multi-headed costume hydra year after year?
Spirit Halloween is fine — great even, when it comes to random licensed novelties from classic horror films — but if you’re looking to make a statement and venture off the beaten path, here are eight Miami costume shops that will raise your All Hallow’s Eve alternate personality game to the next level.
Beatnix
Beatnix has been running a series of countdown to Halloween posts on its Instagram page for more than forty days — and the former South Beach mainstay now firmly ensconced in Wynwood has yet to run out of fun, trippy ways to present its you-ain’t-gonna-find-that-anywhere-else wares, from chic fairy goddess getups and rhinestone-festooned plague doctors to witches, werewolves, and much more. In business since the 1990s and powered by palpable passion, a visit to Beatnix is an experience all its own. 2640 NW Fifth Ave., Miami; 305-532-8733; @beatnixmiami.
Halloween Megastore
Opening up a costume store on Lincoln Road in South Beach is kind of begging for a Fairuza Balk vs. the bus driver “We are the weirdos, mister” moment — and that’s what’s beautiful about it. This insanely well-stocked costume store is an outpost of mayhem, fancifulness, absurdity, and surrealism amidst an increasingly sanitized and corporatized stretch of the city. Do you want to throw your lot in with weirdos out in normie territory? And, okay, also pick up a Minions costume for your toy bichon frisé? Well, here’s your chance. 700 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; 305-532-8733; @halloweenmegastoreinc.
Photo by Shawn Macomber
La Casa De Los Trucos
It’s pretty obvious why this Little Havana institution continues to be incredibly popular more than half a century after opening its doors. The place feels like the shop where Rand Peltzer bought Gizmo in Gremlins, where Bastian lifted The NeverEnding Story, or where Fred and George Weasley sold magic novelties in Harry Potter. It’s stuffed to the gills with cool costumes, makeup, knick-knacks, and more. Floor to ceiling, the place captures your imagination, not only with up-to-date costumes (what’s up, K-Pop Demon Hunters?) but also all manner of old-school getups and accoutrements that will have the internal nostalgia factories of parents and grandparents rumbling to delightful life. Oh, and the computers set up to search inventory are a godsend for those with something specific in mind as well. 1343 SW Eighth St., Miami; 305-858-5029; @lacasadelostrucos.
Miami Stage Costume
“All the world’s a stage — we just provide the wardrobe.” That’s the motto of Miami Stage Costume, a 1,700-square-foot warehouse of thousands of costumes and props that just officially started taking customers in September. Which is great because — let’s face it — some of us clearly need professional help with this holiday. (Among other things.) The talk of “complete show skits for junior and adult productions” may sound a little intimidating for those of us who don’t walk around with a go-to auditioning monologue in our back pocket, but read the fine print ye revelers and rejoice: “We can dress proms, weddings, themed vintage parties, modern costume parties, and so much more!” @miamistagecostumes; miamistagecostume.com.
Photos by Shawn Macomber
Miami Twice
Miami Twice is always one of the more eclectic, fun, and unpredictable stops in the city, but if you haven’t visited this “well-known destination for vintage lovers as well as the new and hip style hunter” during its elaborate transformation into an All Hallow’s Eve haute couture showstopper showroom, you are seriously missing out. Yes, the collection of costumes and props is vast enough to cover kids and adults who want to go basic with a character from an ’80s slasher or a 2000s video game. But for those seeking a next-level showstopper or something so unique you will definitely not run into a costume party doppelganger, Miami Twice has got you covered. The staff is responsive, smart, and full of great ideas for how to piece together an ensemble of Halloween perfection. 6562 SW 40th St., Miami; 305-666-0127; @miamitwice_; miamitwice.com.
Playthings Miami
Listen, if you’re going to go naughty for Halloween…don’t half-ass it? When New Times declared the “department store-sized” Playthings the Best Adult Store in 2023, we praised its approachable, informed, and non-judgmental staff” and called it “a one-stop shop for titillating lingerie, vibrators, lubrication, bondage ropes, chastity belts, handcuffs, nipple clamps, whips — you name it.” (It took home the prize again this year.) You can add Halloween hotness to that list because Playthings goes all-in on the holiday. So much so, the store is hosting its own Halloween show, “Nightmare in Candyland,” on October 24 at Daer Nightclub, “blending dark fantasy, twisted whimsy, and nightclub glamour” — which is not a bad description of the store’s sultry costume selection, come to think of it. 9250 SW 40th St., Miami; 305-485-8404; @playthingsmiami; playthingsmiami.com.
Photo by Alejandra Fabiana Curac
Princess Fantasy
Argentine seamstress and costume designer Alejandra Fabiana Curac opened Princess Fantasy in Miami Shores late last year to serve as “a magical place where children can feel like they’re a part of a story, surrounded by beauty, imagination, and fantasy.” Mission accomplished. To call Curac’s collection of handmade clothes and costumes magical is almost something of an understatement — there is whimsy, care, love, creativity, and singularity woven into these pieces that your child simply will not get in a mass-produced, big-box store set. 212 NE 98th St., Miami Shores; 786-674-9237; @princessfantasy1; princessfantasya.com.
Rupees
Maybe you want to go with a Bollywood vibe this Halloween. Or cover your spooky season and Diwali outfit in one fell swoop. Whatever your reasoning, if you go into Rupees in Wynwood, you’re going to exit looking amazing. This Indian fashion boutique — which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year — is stocked with some of the most breathtaking, lovely sarees, men’s wear, and jewelry around. Plus, there’s a wide selection of authentic incense to help set the transcendent vibe. 415 NW 27th St., Miami; 305-576-4368; @rupees_inc; rupeesinc.com.
