For Children’s Costumes, It’s a Small World After All

Move over Rambo. It’s the Halloween of Snow White, Top Gun, He-Man and She-Ra.

“Last year I couldn’t get enough Rambo costumes. This year nobody even looks at them. Rambo is literally out,” said Wanda Fudge, whose Kids in Costume store in West Hollywood provided the fantasy clothes for Sunday’s benefit fashion show and party at the Century Plaza Hotel.

The show, which organizers say raised $40,000 for the Los Angeles Children’s Museum, was sponsored by the Inner Circle, the museum’s support group.

Months in the planning, the show followed a storybook theme. “The children tell us what’s important every year,” said Fudge. “We knew fantasy princesses were important, but also Disney was coming on strong.” Translated: Snow White is making the biggest costume news this year--and in the show, she was joined by Cinderella, Prince Charming, Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, the Three Little Pigs and assorted witches, knights and maidens.

Fudge said ’87 has turned into the year when--in defiance of the miniskirt trend--little girls are rejecting short tutus in favor of long flowing bridal costumes and chiffon fairy princess gowns. She added that the fairy princess phase--usually including wings--predictably hits girls who are 3 to 6 years old. The slightly more mature set prefers ‘50s poodle skirts or ‘20s flapper costumes, she said.

The retailer, whose store does a year-round costume business, maintains that boys care most about their accessories. “They want a gun, a sword. Most of the boys care nothing for the costumes,” she said, noting that boys prefer “something they can be noisy or aggressive in.”

Superman and Spiderman continue to be favorites with 3-to-6-year-old males, she said, with older boys choosing pirates, knights, aliens, ninjas and astronauts.

Saks Fifth Avenue also contributed clothes to this second annual Halloween museum fund-raiser, which more than 1,000 attended, according to Jeanne Reynolds, president of the Inner Circle.