Spotted at local Halloween parties: astronauts, monkeys, Matrix characters, and a bouncing Richard Simmons.

Not too long ago, I called up the owner of Fantasy Costume Headquarters on Milwaukee Avenue and asked which costumes he predicted would sweep Chicago. His top picks for this year: caveman masks and pirate paraphernalia. He was riffing, of course, off the Geico cavemen character and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

Well, since Saturday, I’ve attended three Halloween parties and a pumpkin-carving fête, and I have not spotted any cavemen. I’ve seen a pirate or two. By far, the most popular costumes I’ve seen are Amy Winehouse (complete with the Blake tattoo over the bosom) and the “d*ck-in-the-box” (from the Justin Timberlake/Andy Samberg spoof for Saturday Night Live.

So if you’re going out tonight (for a few options, go here), be forewarned: beer-guzzling Amys and men who want to “show you what’s in the box” will be out in full abundance.

Photography: Cassie Walker