Stop focusing only on holiday string lights; Halloween’s real gold mine lies in costumes and dress-up.

According to Google Trends, global search interest for “Halloween Outfit” has climbed sharply over the past 30 days, jumping from 40–60 to 80–100 and repeatedly hitting peaks. The UK, the US, and Australia rank top three in search interest.

Image source: Google Trends

As Halloween’s most ritualistic tradition, creative costumes and role-playing are no longer last-minute needs. Consumers plan them as a “major annual project” up to two months ahead. Western shoppers never cut corners on holiday dress-up.

From wild creative looks to detailed cosplay, whether for individuals, family matching outfits, pet costumes, or themed party looks among friends, this niche is heating up on social media and fueling a quirky-costume consumption wave in North American cross-border e-commerce.

01

Ugly Fish Onesie Sells RMB 2.1 Million on TikTok

TT123 recently noticed that a green long-haired big-mouth monster onesie, also called ugly fish pajama, has surged in TikTok US party supplies sales rankings, with high popularity.

Backend data shows that in four months on TikTok US, total sales have exceeded 10,500 orders, reaching $316,000 (about RMB 2.12 million).

The onesie comes from Msrlassn Shop, priced at $30. On 1688, similar products start around RMB 30, mainly produced in Jiangsu.

Made from soft fleece, it is skin-friendly, loose, unisex, one-size, and has a zipper for easy wear. The ugly-cute design features bulging round eyes, a wide mouth stretching toward the ears, and messy long hair that explodes on top, producing a meme-worthy look.

Worn with the included oversized comb, the image of slowly combing that wild hair is absurd and funny. It works as lounge pajamas or as the centerpiece of a Halloween costume party.

Notably, this generic monster design has reportedly been registered as a European design patent, so sellers should avoid infringement risks.

The onesie first went viral on social media in April and is trending again, fueled by TikTok.

02

TikTok Video Tops 10 Million Views in 7 Days

Last week, TikToker @datmommak posted a short video showing the green big-mouth onesie. Within just seven days, the video surpassed 11.9 million views and 500,000 likes.

In the video, a person in the green onesie leans lazily against a wall, slowly combing the exaggerated long hair with an oversized pink comb. The look is comical and cute. The caption reads: “Who doesn’t want a giant monster suit with an oversized comb?”

Netizens were drawn by the funny look and commented: “I love this, it cracks me up!” “Worth every penny.” “I want this outfit.” “I’m 6 ft 5. Can I wear it?”

The video helped sell nearly 1,000 onesies in seven days, with comments showing real purchase feedback like “Ordered, waiting for delivery” and “Can’t wait to scare friends on Halloween.”

As the video spread virally, countless UGC videos featuring the same onesie emerged, bringing free traffic and sustained conversions.

This shows that quirky costume products, with strong visual appeal, high emotional value, and natural shareability, are ideal for TikTok content marketing and can become breakout hits.

In fact, under the emotional economy, Halloween dress-up is no longer a one-time purchase but a full-year business chain with peak-season explosion.

03

The Quirky Costume Niche Is Booming

Besides adult costumes, pet outfits, kids’ costumes, and themed sets are gaining momentum because of their content-friendly and emotional value.

A pet costume wave is spreading across social platforms. On TikTok, topics such as pet Halloween and Halloween pet outfits have accumulated millions of views. Pet owners are racking their brains to prepare show-stopping gear, from glowing dinosaur skeleton suits and Tigger-style dogs to Dracula cats and headless horseman outfits.

This is not only a creative carnival for pet owners but also a fast-growing business quietly enriching many TikTok creators.

On August 21, an AI-generated cat video wearing a headless horseman costume went viral. Within six days, it surpassed 6.5 million views and 300,000 likes. The account @HollowRide is new with only a few thousand followers.

The video made the headless horseman cat costume popular and boosted online sales. Within six days, the RMB 232 costume generated over RMB 100,000 in sales.

Kids’ dress-up is another growth area. Parents prioritize cute, safe, and photogenic styles. Dinosaur onesies, pumpkin baby suits, and animal sets frequently go viral on TikTok.

For cross-border sellers, this is the right time to enter the creative costume space: there is still enough lead time before Halloween, and subcategories such as pet costumes, baby outfits, and matching family sets are still relatively blue ocean. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for unique, photogenic, and meme-worthy products.

04

Final Thoughts

TT123 believes Halloween dress-up as an “annual project” is being redefined by TikTok. It is no longer just the night of October 31, but a nearly three-month cycle: seeding in August, adding to carts in September, and explosion in October. Sellers can arrange campaigns in stages: early fun videos to build interest, mid-season influencer partnerships to amplify exposure, and holiday discounts to drive conversions.

One reminder: some costumes may involve IP infringement. Sellers should avoid copyrighted character designs, and avoid sensitive themes involving race, religion, or gender that could spark controversy.

Source: TT123 Cross-border E-commerce
Original link: https://www.amz123.com/t/DVJtZBPM