(Filed Under wholesale Costume News). Los Angeles-based company Lip Service has entered its third year of Halloween costume production with an array of creative new looks for 2012.

"Last year, steampunk looks were some of our top sellers," Maria Santilena of Lip Service told BODY Magazine. This year’s steampunk-inspired costumes include a gear-adorned butcher apron for men, which comes with a meat cleaver that can easily clip onto one of the apron’s metal rings for safekeeping. A long trench coat is also available for men, while women’s steampunk looks include an off-the-shoulder dress with gear detailing as well as a steampunk mermaid costume — a two-piece set made of a structured corselette top as well as a gathered skirt in dark sepia and green tones, with netting trim to evoke the look of scales.

Lip Service is taking animal costume accessories in innovative new directions. Build-your-own-look kits include accessories like furry ears and tails for creatures like raccoons, dinosaurs and werewolves. Rave-inspired styles include furry hoods, cuffs, shorts and legwarmers in animal styles like black, brown and panda bears as well as a mohawked zebra look. The company’s unique Hoodlums line takes bat, leopard, mouse, bunny, unicorn, lion, T. rex, triceratops and black cat hoods and attaches them to suspenders, effectively combining two apparel trends into one fashionable Halloween or clubwear style. In addition to the hooded suspender looks, Hoodlums come with additional animal accessories like gloves, wings or tails, depending on the style.

Lip Service is also expanding its ravewear-inspired Halloween looks beyond animal-style furry legwarmers and accessories. "Raves are coming back in a major way right now," said Santilena. "It used to be a ’90s thing, but now it’s more about ’80s trends — more neon." Neon pink and fluorescent acid green are incorporated into Lip Service’s men’s and women’s biohazard costumes, which feature shirts and dresses printed with the iconic biohazard symbol as well as rave-inspired accessories. The company has also expanded its line of sparkle tulle petticoats and added basic and specialty hosiery to spice up a variety of looks.

Traditional costumes like zombies and mummies get a modern, sexy update by incorporating current fashion trends like letterman jackets and burnout fabrics. Lip Service expands its fantasy arsenal with knight costumes that include a stretchy platinum material to evoke chainmail, high-quality embroidered crests and vinyl accessories like cuffs and belts. The company offers a dragon costume as well as a creative take on a dragon costume for women that Santilena calls "dinner": a short dress is designed to look like the dragon is devouring the wearer, featuring a necklace of pointy teeth, a tongue halter strap and a row of scales down the side. The company also recognizes the Day of the Dead with its Mexican culture-influenced costumes that feature skeleton gloves, festive headpieces and iconic apparel prints with red roses and white skulls.

Lip Service’s costumes are typically offered in juniors’ cut XS to XXL for women and S to XXL for men, with an approximate wholesale range of $10 to $35, with most packaged items coming in at about $20. Garments are made in both the U.S. and China with all products shipping from the company’s Los Angeles distribution center. Retailers are asked to order a minimum of four pieces of each style being purchased for a first-time order.

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Published 12-08-2011 by Katherine Rautenberg