Why Are People Shopping for Halloween Décor in July?

Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.

Real Halloween Heads know the spooky season has already begun. Senior editor Jen Trolio, (a Halloween nut who called her local Costco multiple times to get her hands on 2024’s hottest skelly) gathered the Strategist’s resident Halloween obsessives to explain what the hashtag “Code Orange” means, and why this year in haunted lawn décor, the most coveted items are groundbreaker skeletons, krakens, and a Skelly’s Dog. Did you know that there are 273.7 thousand members in the 12 Foot Skeleton Owners Group on Facebook? If a 12-foot-tall skeleton isn’t for you, then West Elm makes some of my favorite (more subtle) Halloweenware such as tarot cocktail napkins and this moon-phase pillow for year-round display. (Have no use for them, but look at these glow-in-the-dark sheets!!)

Also on the site: contributor Hanna Kozlowska says it’s not too late to invest in an inflatable stand-up paddleboard; senior Strategist writer Liza Corsillo’s hair is softer, healthier, and less prone to flyaways thanks to this La Bonne Brosse brush; designer Suzie Kondi “really, really can’t” live without Oribe shampoo and conditioner; and this is the only gift guide for a 1-year-old you’ll ever need. —Ashley Wolfgang, newsletter editor