There are a few basic goals you’ll want to achieve when choosing your costume.

The first goal should be to be recognized. There is nothing worse than having to explain who you are all night. Choose someone or something that people know and can readily identify. EX: Tabloid regulars like Britney and Paris are recognizeable and easy picks to characterize in costume, whereas Jamie-Lynn Spears or Nicole Richie may not be so easy. 

Next: Your costume should FIT. Do NOT (I repeat: DO NOT) buy a costume that is too small for you. You will be talked about the entire evening, and it will not be because you look good.

Make them remember you! Your costume should provoke some kind of emotion — fear, humor, and lust all qualify. If you are picking a popular costume, accessories & make-up are a great way to distinguish yourself. 

And lastly, don’t be afraid to get creative. A homemade or a store-bought costume can be modified. A pair of pliers & a money bag, for example, can turn a simple fairy costume into a hilarious Tooth Fairy. Spray-in hair paint and a bone can change you from basic caveman/woman to BamBam or Pebbles.

So remember:

• Be recognizeable
• Be aware of your actual size 
• Be creative

Keep these tips in mind and you can’t go wrong this Halloween.