Halloween goblins have gone from simple to stylish. Old sheets with cutouts for eyes are rarely seen these days, everything is haute couture. The march of the little ones is more like Project Runway and parents are more involved than ever. They don’t just accompany the kids but are into the costume thing as well.

Halloween is like Hollywood where the stars parade down the Red Carpet. Whatever award they are competing for takes second place to the Red Carpet. The real prize is getting the best dressed nod. Even the worst dressed get some publicity. They get noticed and maybe catch the eye of a designer who will give them a lucrative modeling contract.

They have best and worst at Halloween, also. For instance, my cousin in Baton Rouge went to a Halloween party at work. His get up consisted of a large horse shoe draped around his neck with magnets in the form of little chicks attached to the shoe. He was a chick magnet. He’s an adult with a sense of flare, but is he really a chick magnet? He has one thing in his favor in that he has the same baby face he had as a toddler. He’s like Dick Clark who started young on American Bandstand and still looks as young as he looked then. You might make it, Bro. Don’t give up!

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The family of little Emily Belden were trick or treating as pirates, and well turned out pirates. The duds weren’t out of the moldy pirate chest. They were top of the heap on the pirate circuit. Emily and the other little ones were adorable. Reese Loren Romero vied for best dressed on the catwalk, with her leopard-spotted bodice, stunning tail and elegant whiskers. She is sure to get the lead when there is a scaled down revival of “Cats.” My granddaughter in Moss Bluff startled and frightened as a Midnight Bat. Watch out Batwoman, you have competition. My 4-year-old great-granddaughter remained housebound in Abbeville, modeling a pumpkin colored designer sports ensemble.

Halloween is followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years Eve, Mardi Gras, Easter, and Fourth of July. Easter is no longer the only game in town for haute couture and Mardi Gras demands attention to the costume.

Other events like the Sugar Cane Festival provide a glimpse of those warming up for a future walk down the Red Carpet. Specially designed, costly, hand-sewn garments adorn infants, tots and toddlers. No more old jeans and T-shirts. These duds are fit for a parade honoring festival royalty. Sequined western shirts with designer jeans and boots encourage the cowboy look. The little girls are all in calico accented in a blue jean motif. Some are in gingham and a miniature bonnet like grandma used to wear.

The regally attired youngsters are sure to make their debut on the runway and others on the Hollywood Red Carpet. I can see it now, in a remake of “Sunset Boulevard.” The lucky one will descend the stairs and speak the famous line, “Are they ready for my close-up Mr. Demille?”

NANCY PEARCE is a resident of New Iberia and a former contributor to a liturgical guide for priests. Many of her features appeared in a major national publication for teenagers.