Halloween is the one time of year to dress up without the fear of being judged, but for some it is a complete nightmare due to a shortage of costume ideas.

To help you on your hunt for the perfect costume – or to simply save you the embarrassment of wearing the same thing as other Halloween enthusiasts – The Weal has chosen to disguise itself as your very own super hero and rescue you from the clutches of confusion and indecision. Here are some of 2012’s best-selling costumes:

Avengers

Jessica Hobbs, sales representative of The Costume Shoppe, said that after Marvel’s blockbuster hit, Iron Man has become the best-selling superhero costume for most men out there. He’s strong, he’s hot and he’s popular. Now what man wouldn’t want to live a day in his life?

 
Sexy Female Costumes

Sexy nurses, Little Bo Peep and sexy animals will surely make a ghastly appearance this Halloween. According to Bernadette Fletcher, owner of Chuckles Canada, one of the latest and most popular looks for women this year is to dress up as a sexy animal.

“The sexiest and most widely available ones are sexy female pandas and polar bears,” Fletcher said. “Strange as it may seem, it’s new and it’s different.”

 
Zombies

It started off with Robert Kirkman’s acclaimed comic book series The Walking Dead, which has been turned into a world-renowned television program. The undead trend is now creeping its way into the field of Halloween disguises and costumes because, “They fit the Halloween theme perfectly, because they’re scary and creepy,” Hobbs said.

 
Catwoman

Why should men have all the fun of dressing up as a superhero? Hobbs said that women should embody the sexy super villain by dressing up as the new woman of power, Catwoman. By donning the sleek getup of Anne Hathaway’s character, Hobbs said dressed up revellers will be embracing, “a new fashion statement.”

“After the recent Batman movie, Catwoman seems to have come back into fashion.”

 
Female Jokers

Fletcher said that one costume to watch for this year is a new addition to the costume market. She described the expectedly popular disguise as, “more fun and colourful” than the original, male Joker ensembles, “A lot of women choose to go as something a little more light hearted,” she said

 
Morph Suits

The newest and most unique of all, Morph Suits are full-body costumes made entirely of spandex.

“It’s a pretty cool outfit because the outfit allows you to breathe, see and drink through it,” Hobbs said. “You’d think that something like that would be very uncomfortable to have on, but a huge chunk of people are actually going for it.”

 
While these newer costumes are expected to make a splash this year, some of the usual standbys will likely be spotted when out and about this Oct. 31. As per Hobbs’ predictions, predictable classics such as classic movie characters, super heroes – like Batman – and Disney characters will be sure to round out any costume-spotting this year. For more costume ideas, check out The Costume Shoppe (4307 Blackfoot Tr. S.E.) or Chuckles Canada (48-6130 1A St. S.W.)