Every year there is a rush during the month of October to find the perfect costume. I recall just last year spending at least two whole days being pulled along with my two best friends through malls, thrift stores, costume shops, grocery stores, department stores, specialty stores and every other retail haven under the sun in their search for “just the right look”. What kept them searching after they found the first couple possibilities? Originality! They wanted something different and interesting, something eye catching that would intrigue and fascinate while sparking the imagination. And they wanted to look damned good in the process.

So now this year’s festive celebration of what has turned into the darkest, sexiest night of the year is looming closer. What will you wear? Have you found that perfect accessory to go with your costume that just screams out…this is me! Have you discovered just the right way to express yourself and your personality without drowning in the sea of other look-alikes that will abound in the streets and parties of All Hallows? Well if not, don’t worry. Here are a few tips for sifting through the cliché and overdone, so that you can zone in on the costume that is right for you. Let’s tackle some of the more popular trends as well as some of the classics.

The Scourges of the Night – Vampires & Werewolves!!

Image via Adult Costume Shop

Let’s face it; the media has always been enamored with the dark, mysterious and bloodthirsty. However, there has been a media explosion of Vampires and Werewolves in recent years. With movies like the “Underworld” trilogy and the “Twilight” series, shows like “True Blood” and “Vampire Diaries”, books like the bestselling “Anita Blake” novels by Laurell K. Hamilton, and even musicians like Marilyn Manson, Avenged Sevenfold and Type O Negative lending a hand with vampire themed lyrics, it really is no wonder that so many people would want to take advantage of such a readily recognizable form of “drop dead sexy” by dressing up as one of these denizens of the night.

The thing to keep in mind when donning your fangs or claws, if you want to really make an impression, is to make the look your own. Unless your girlfriend has a huge Cullen fetish and you both will be staying in on Halloween, then perhaps the sparkly Twilight-esque Edward look is not the best one for you. It is both much easier and much more appealing to see what you would look like as a Vamp or Were. Give it some thought and try to answer the question, “If I were this kind of creature 24/7 what would I want to look like?” It makes for a much more interesting, original and wholly attractive look when a bit of your own personality goes into the putting together of these kinds of costumes.

On The High Seas – Pirates!!

Last year one of the most popular men’s Halloween costumes was that of Captain Jack Sparrow. Yes, Johnny Depp has to be one of the hottest pirates to ever walk the plank. And it’s no wonder when you factor in what he brought to the look itself. What am I talking about? His personality of course! He took that general pirate look and added his own mannerisms and unique swagger to the role and that, my friends, is what brought Jack Sparrow into the hearts and libido-filled fantasies of so many.

Image via Wikipedia

If you are going to be a pirate this year you will of course need to have some of the basics such as a scabbard, some tattered looking pirate clothes and perhaps even an eye patch. But once that is put together, what will make your costume stand out is what you bring to it. Maybe a temporary tattoo that is more personal for you. Or you could make a new twist on the pirate concept and perhaps go for a modern day pirate look, taking into account what you would end up wearing as your “bad-ass of the seas” look.

When To Stay Original – Star Wars!!

Image via Wikipedia

Of course there are some costumes that just do not look right unless they are exactly the same as the original concept. Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers really have no room for adding personal touches to the costumes. The same goes for Padme, Yoda or Chewie. The greatness of these classic characters is the fact that they don’t change no matter how many years have gone by since their invention. These and other classics like these are good designs and although they do not have much leeway for personal expression, the mere wearing of the costumes in the first place makes a statement about you in and of themselves.

What Is Most Popular This Year?

According to many sources, the most popular choices in costumes for Halloween 2009 will be those of Vampires, Werewolves, Pirates, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Michael Jackson tributes, Batman and the Joker. Some of these are best left in their original design but there are also others with quite a few options to express who you are and make the costume yours. Why not make this Halloween into something memorable and different? Show the world who you are on the inside and have some fun while doing it! After all, it is the one night of the year that you can do that and the last thing you have to worry about is blending in. This is your chance to really be yourself by dressing up as someone else.