Halloween Costume DOs & DON’Ts

DO save the skimpy looks for the bedroom.

Don’t commit the ultimate costume cop-out: Lingerie and random props do not a Halloween costume make.

Video: Best celebrity Halloween costumes >

DO be a femme fatale.

If flirting up a storm is your MO on All Hallow’s Eve, try a tastefully seductive look like model Sophie Dahl’s imitation of Andy Warhol muse Edie Sedgwick.

DON’T dress up as your frenemy.

Style insiders had a good laugh when designer Roberto Cavalli dressed up as fellow fashion VIP Karl Lagerfeld. But while imitating your faux BFF or crazy co-worker sounds funny in theory, chances are she won’t appreciate the joke.

DO be creative.

Seriously, how many more Halloweens are you going to be a witch, cat, princess or any of those predictable, ho-hum characters? If you’re running out of time—or ideas—simply don a vintage ’60s dress and play the part of a Mad Men secretary!

DO find a costume buddy.

Be sure to abide by the cardinal Halloween costume rule: Friends don’t let friends make a fool of themselves—alone. Going all out with hair and makeup is much more fun, as well as memorable, when you’re doing it with someone in your inner Facebook circle. And DO take photos! Just DON’T make them your office screensaver.

DO keep it simple.

Don’t spend your whole night trying to explain your last-minute, random getup. Make sure your costume is something people can easily understand, even after a few rounds of spiked punch.

DON’T supersize it.

One wrong move with a bulky outfit like Heidi Klum’s spells disaster for glass-filled bars and other fragile backdrops.

Video: Heidi Klum's Halloween costume from last year >

DO have a fairy-tale ending (or evening at least).

Yes, it’s cheesy. Yes, people will mock you. Who cares? Indulge your childhood fantasy and earn points with cartoon-loving kids with a Disney character costume.

DO dress up your eyes.

The holiday is the perfect excuse to test-drive glamorous makeup look like Anne Hathaway’s over-the-top Cleopatra eyes!

DO leave something to the imagination.

Contrary to popular belief, Halloween was not started as an excuse to dress up like a tart. Skip the skin-baring costumes, which are total DON’Ts. After all, an attention-hungry partygoer can be as scary as ghosts or goblins.