Although Summertime is just now getting under way, those who end up with killer Halloween costumes that turn heads and win prizes/contests start thinking about their costumes early… and right now is the time to start coming up with your concept!

It doesn’t matter if you need ideas for kids Halloween costumes, family Halloween costumes, baby Halloween costumes, sexy costumes, or superhero costumes, now is also the time to start gathering your materials and accessories. At the end of the day, you don’t want to be scrounging to come up with a costume the night before Halloween.

Specificity is Key

Whether you’re planning on going as Scooby Doo, Shaggy, Boba Fett, Uncle Fester, or any other costume you come up with, you will want to make sure that you capture all of the broad strokes of the costume/outfit, but also pull off some of the finer details. Make sure to find accessories that match the costume -- even if you have to make some extra purchases on the internet.

Speaking of which, cruising the internet will save you major coin as you gather your ensemble. You can purchase larger and smaller items of your costume on websites like eBay, where you can either bid on items or purchase an item instantly at a slightly higher rate. Buying new or gently used items on eBay will generally come in at a lower cost than shopping at retail locations.

Make Sure You Stand Out

You’ll want to stand out if you’re going to go with a costume that others might be going with as well this year. Anything you can do to perfect your costume will go a long way, especially if you’re planning on dressing as the following for Halloween:

• Wonder Woman Costume
• Harley Quinn Costume
• Spiderman Costume
• Harry Potter Costume

It’s okay if you end up choosing a more popular costume -- just make sure that you put a clever twist on things! For instance, if you end up being Harry Potter and you’re an adult, if you’re toddler doesn’t mind dressing up as Hagrid, this will likely win you a ton of fun points for your costume. Also, the idea of a full-grown adult dressing as Harry Potter and a toddler dressing as Hagrid -- that’s just hilarious.

Be Thrifty

One of the secret points of Halloween is to come up with a remarkable costume without overpaying. Sure, it’s really easy to go to the Halloween costume store and drop a thousand dollars on a designer mask, but it’s not going to get you many style points, and you’re going to be majorly bummed if you don’t pick up that first prize money.

Take a trip to your local thrift store and try to frequent garage sales in order to find some amazing Halloween duds and accessories. Shop with an open mind, too -- if you see something that doesn’t go with this year’s costume but it’s a must-have, go ahead and make the purchase and save it for next year. Likely, if you’re shopping at a thrift store or a garage sale you won’t have to expect to pay more than, say, a few dollars per item.

Another thing you can do to limit waste and make your dollars stretch is look around the house for stuff you already have that can be incorporated into your costume. Maybe you have old wig you wore for one Halloween that can be repurposed for this year -- that way you don’t have to go out, buy another wig, then have to worry about storing two of them when Halloween season is over.

Be Creative

Think about popular culture, movies, TV, as well as current events when you’re coming up with your costumes. Being that it’s been a year of challenges for many folks, it’s a good idea not to go with anything that’s going to offend anyone. Try to keep your costume universally awesome and funny for everyone.

You can browse comic books, magazines, watch old movies (even new movies), and seek characters that have a distinct look that you’ll be able to replicate.

If you have a family member who is good with the old thread and needle, it’s not a bad idea to enlist some help in order to come up with the perfect costume. You’d be surprised what a person who is skilled with materials and textiles can pull off. And, best of all, nobody else will have your costume -- since it will be one of a kind.