Top 10 Halloween Costume Dos and Don'ts

So it's finally happened-- you were just invited to a costume event or party. But what started out to be a fun opportunity turned out to be one of the most frustrating, embarrassing, soul sucking experiences of your life. You thought you'd be a hit and instead you wound up being the biggest dud!

You cried, didn't you? Or perhaps that night you actually thought about using that prop noose at the party you attended. Your lousiness at making a funtacular costume was enough to make you hate Halloween forever, thinking that only the most brilliant types can be a success at it. But believe it or not, nothing is easier than pulling together a cool costume. All it takes is knowing a few time-honored tips and tricks.

Don't know what they are? No problem-o, my creatively challenged friend! Below are ten of the most useful tips and tricks of coming up with a cool costume. Once you read them, you'll see that the art of dressing up for Halloween is nowhere as painful or difficult as you thought it was!

1. Do go all the way!
It never fails... At a costume party, you'll see someone with a gorgeous costume, obviously rented or store bought. Maybe she's Cinderella, maybe he's Count Dracula. But there's something missing. They certainly look great, but their costumes are lacking a certain pizazz. They get polite smiles and even a compliment or two, but it's the goofball with the really cheesy home made costume that for some reason gets all the attention.

It almost seems illogical that someone with a wonderful costume would get a tepid response, but believe it or not there is a reasonable explanation: these people went all out to get a fabulous costume, but didn't bother to make themselves up or accessorize properly. Sure, Cinderella put on a little lipstick and makeup and Dracula bought some cheap plastic fangs, but beyond that, neither of them really went all out.

If you want to be a dud, you can do no better than to simply slap on a fancy costume and nothing else. Why? Because failing to go full out with makeup, hair, and accessories is sort of like the bride showing up without her veil and bouquet. Something is lost. So if you want to be a smash, really go over the top with makeup and accessories! If you're Cinderella, get a wig or style your hair like hers and find the most sparkling tiara you can! If you're Dracula, put on theatrical makeup, dab those fangs with fake blood, and put on a wig or slick back your hair.

Do go all the way! But don't expect fancy rented or store bought costumes alone to do the trick. It just won't work.

2. Don't be a current "hot" character or personality!
One of the lamest things you can do when dressing up for Halloween or any costume party in general is to become a movie or TV character or personality that's just become popular. Why? Because there will be a million other people showing up at the party as that person or character. If you don't think there weren't a million Jack Sparrows every year a Pirates of the Caribbean movie came out, think again! Ditto Sarah Palin the year of the 2008 election.

I know this advice really, really sucks, because this year you'll absolutely die if you can't be Iron Man or some other hot character. But trust me-- don't do it. Nothing will be more disappointing than arriving at the party and seeing at least 5 people with the same idea. Your night will be ruined, trust me!

Now before you give up all hope, guess what-- there is one tiny exception to this rule of not dressing up as a popular character or person, which we'll go into in Tip #3!

3. Do become a popular character or hot personality-- if you're a dead ringer!
Let me get this straight... Everyone tells you that you're a dead ringer for Meg Griffin from Family Guy, yet you show up at the party dressed as Alice from Alice in Wonderland. You're told you look like Arnold Schwarzenegger, but you dress up as Jack Sparrow. People say all the time that you look exactly like Lara Croft, yet you show up as Batgirl.

Hello! If you're constantly told that you look exactly like a famous fictional character or real life person, for goodness sake, run with it-- especially if this person is really hot that particular Halloween season! You will be the hit of the party! I'll never forget a party I went to a few years ago in which a tall woman with short, black, slicked back hair appeared in dark clothes and glasses. Her character was unmistakable-- she was Trinity from the Matrix. Why? Because she was told so much how much she looked like her. And guess what? She really was a dead ringer for Carrie-Anne Moss!

Another year, someone at my job dressed up as Sarah Palin the year of the last presidential election, 2008. Ordinarily, this would've just been lame (who wasn't lampooning or dressing up as her that year?). But because this employee naturally resembled her in appearance and hairstyle, her costume was a hit!

Of course, you can't always be this "lookalike" every Halloween-- the point is that if you haven't seized the opportunity to be him or her, please do. It will probably be one of the best Halloween seasons you've ever had.

4. Don't dress to impress
When Halloween rolls around, a lot of people tend to lose focus on the spirit of the holiday, especially if it means entering competitions or being part of parades. So rather than be Ralph Kramden and make up their own costumes, they become more like Ed Norton, going out and renting one of the slickest costumes that money can buy.

The problem with this is twofold. Number one, buying or renting a costume, especially at a popular chainstore, almost always guarantees that there will be other people there with the same character.

Number two, fancy store bought costumes go against the spirit of the season. Dressing to impress--decking yourself out like a movie star at the Oscar Awards-- is not what Halloween is all about. It's about being as creative and resourceful as possible with the available items that you have-- the cheaper and more commonplace, the better. If you've ever observed costume parties you'll notice that the people who'll get the most attention are the ones who pieced together their own costumes, not people who bought or rented a fancy one from the local costume shop. People with nice costumes may indeed get a compliment or two for looking "nice." But they're not going to really turn as many heads as someone else who threw together something from their closet. That's because their costume is going to come across as lazy and uninspired, as opposed to the costume that someone took the time to create.

So never really rent or buy a store bought costume if you can help it. Be creative-- make it yourself!

5. Do be funny, silly, outrageous, and even tasteless if possible!
Because Halloween has become synonymous with letting it all hang out, one really great way to become a hit at a costume is to inject a lot of humor into your costume, especially if it's silly, tasteless, or just plain outrageous.

A popular example of this is the "punny" Halloween costume. This is a type of costume in which you dress up as a popular phrase or expression and then have fellow party-goers guess what it is. A classic costume is the "cereal killer:" dress up as a blood-stained murderer stabbing a cereal box. Other examples? A Jack in the Box-- wear a big box with a name tag on your shirt that reads "Jack". Or maybe you could be a Chick Magnet this season-- glue a bunch of toy chicks onto your body and hold a prop magnet.

Puns aren't the only types of funny costumes that can cause a chuckle. Anything that pokes fun at the latest political or Hollywood scandal or makes a tasteless joke about a recent serious (but not tragic) events is great! Crude or just plain childish and silly costumes are even better! Dress up as a drunken Mel Gibson ranting into a prop cell phone-- or as his girlfriend tape recording him. Wear a duck costume covered with fake oil stains and carry a sign that says, "BP Sucks!" Go in drag, but really exaggerate the body parts of the sex you're dressing up as-- big, fake balloons if you're going as a woman or a stuffed tube sock if you're going as a man. Become one of the most ridiculous objects you can imagine-- a hot dog, condom, iPod, french fry, tater tot, whatever goofy thing you can think of.

The world is your oyster in terms of funny, outrageous costumes, so why not dress like one?

6. Don't be a cliched character
Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz? Snore. A Jedi knight? Double snore. A witch, vampire, 1950s sockhopper? Yawn. Nothing is more boring than being a character that's been done to death. Yes, I know-- it's always been your dream to be this person. But if you expect to delight people at a costume party, the only person who's going to be excited about your "chance" to be this person or character will be you! So resist temptation-- don't be one of these cliched Halloween characters just because you've always wanted to be one.

There is one exception, though-- that is, if you can add a little twist to this character. Let's say you have to be a witch this year. Don't go with the typical green makeup, black hat, and warts; put on garters, a short dress with a low cut top and be a sexy witch. If you're going to be a vampire, drop the cape and slicked back hair for a more gothic look. In a nutshell, try to do something different with this character to give it that extra edge so it's not the same old, same old.

7. Do be inspired by your wardrobe!
How are people able to come up with such unique costumes? Easy! One of the most overlooked sources of inspiration is the home closet. I know-- it may seem unlikely that the source of the most mundane pieces of clothing could be the beginning of an outstanding costume. But trust me-- no matter how "boring" you think your closet is, there's always at least one "interesting" article of clothing that can be used as a starting point.

Maybe it's a tee shirt that says "hot". There you go-- you can go as a "punny costume!" Just wear dog ears and you're a "hot dog."

Maybe for whatever reason you've got an unusual item stashed somewhere-- for example, an old bodysuit, a quirky souvenir (like plastic lei and beads), or a dated piece of clothing from the thrift shop. With the bodysuit, put on cat ears and a tail and become a cat. Leis and beads are a no-brainer-- you can become a vacationer, hula girl, or hippie. If you have a really dated piece of clothing, you can dress up as a person from the era it dates from-- for example, a 1940s bobby soxer or 1920s flapper.

This is how the beginning of an amazing costume starts-- something from the closet. So don't be so quick to dismiss it outright; it's chock full of potential!

8. Do accessorize cleverly
You've heard me emphasize the importance of creating your own costumes. However, not every person has the knack for it. Let's say you're one of them-- you have a hard time pulling together clever costumes from scratch. There's still hope for you. One last ditch effort you can do is to come up with a not so obvious, but clever accessory for your costume.

For example, if you're going to be Belle from Beauty in the Beast, carry around a framed portrait of Beast. If you're going to be Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, don't just get a picnic basket. Get a picnic basket and put a stuffed toy dog in it with its head sticking out. If you're going to be a gypsy, ditch the tambourine for a cool crystal ball that glows. If you're going to be a fairy, get some actual glitter to sprinkle around. A pirate? Stick a toy parrot on your shoulder and carry a bottle of rum.

Why does this work? For the same reason putting on theatrical makeup and fixing up your hair works; you're putting more effort into your costume than if you'd just slapped it on. You're also adding a bit of flair to a costume that otherwise would be average and even boring.

9. Don't be too obscure!
Alright! You finally found the perfect costume this year, and you're really proud of yourself because it's of a character you're almost positive has never really done before. Whew! Now you don't have to worry about making the same mistake you did last year, like show up as the Joker from The Dark Knight, only to find five other people in the same gear.

There's just one problem. Since the average person has rarely read "Les Miserables," your Inspector Javert costume is more likely to draw blank stares than delighted responses. Ditto Beowulf, Nikola Tesla, Cato the Censor, or other personalities and characters that most people would barely know or "get" for some reason or other.

Of course, it's always a good thing for Halloween to choose a character that's unique and different, but there can be such a thing as overdoing it. Resist the temptation to be something so obscure that very few people will care-- or even appreciate-- just what it is you're trying to be. You'll be crying in your beer later when all is said and done. I promise!

10. Don't think so hard
One of the biggest reasons people have trouble coming up with a costume has less to do with creativity than thinking too hard about who or what to be. So they bust their brains trying to come up with the most original, obscure or exotic character they can be. And of course, that's asking for the impossible because there's practically no cool character that hasn't been done before! Frustrated, they either give up and quit or go to the path of least resistance and rent a costume.

The great thing about Halloween is that it's one of those holidays where all you need to impress anyone with is your sense of humor, creativity, and fun. So you can be anything you want to be, no matter how innocuous or non-descript the character or basic the costume. All you have to do is be someone or something else for the night. Buy scrubs, get a stethoscope, and be a med student. Get a headband with antennae, strap on wings, a shirt with yellow and black stripes and be a bumble bee. Get a peasant shirt, ethnic skirt, beads, and a headband and be a fortune teller. Get an afro wig, bellbottoms, and love beads, and boom! You're a hippie. As long as you accessorize properly, arrive at the costume party with the right attitude and spirit, people will like what you have on. So relax!

And remember-- if you don't make quite the splash you had hoped this year, there's always next year!