‘I’ll bet living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.’ – Author Unknown

There is a certain allure to dressing up and pretending you’re someone else that seems to draw college students to venerate one holiday above all others: Halloween. We prepare for it all year with Dirty Doctors and Nurses parties, Tennis pros and golf hoes bashes and the ever-popular underwear only dance parties.

So as the sacred date of Oct. 31 draws near and you start to prepare your ceremonial Hallow’s Eve clothes, here are a few suggestions for making this year’s costume a guaranteed contest winner:

1. Start early (now)

Give yourself time to come up with a great idea so you don’t get stuck in the end. Planning early also means you’ll have your pick at the costume shops.

‘You should do it in advance, even if it’s just accessories,’ said Alicia Shaw, an employee at Dougherty’s Masquerade on Erie Boulevard. If you wait until the week before, all the best costumes will be gone, she said.

2. Go for laughs

‘We’ve passed the point of the horror and being gross,’ said junior finance major Matthew Raia. The best costumes are the funny ones. Better yet, grab a bunch of your friends and make it a theme. Last year, Raia and his roommate went as Cheech and Chong.

For the ladies, being funny means standing out in a good way.

‘Funny is better, because a lot of people try to be slutty,’ said Sophie Gates, a junior retail major who rocked a Ninja Turtles costume last year.

3. Do it yourself

To spend or save, that is the question.

This year Gates is making herself a geisha costume, a Marilyn Monroe outfit and a fish costume for her friends.

A Salvation Army costume can be just as successful as an expensive store-bought get-up. Last year, Linda Andrews, a junior biology major, pieced together a Michael Jackson outfit so good, her friends didn’t recognize her.

‘The better the costume, the bigger then investment,’ said junior finance major Andrew Naysmith.

While Raia agreed, he also said spending less allows you to do a new costume every night, instead of wearing the same thing three days in a row.

4. Mix it up

Showing up to prom with the same gown as your best friend pales in comparison to the embarrassment of being the 10th girl at the party dressed as a sexy vampire.

‘You have to come up with something new every year,’ Raia said. ‘Originality is key.’

Get started:Dougherty’s Masquerade: 315-445-0076, 3011 Erie Blvd.Salvation Army: 315-445-0520, 2433 Erie Blvd.Boom Babies: 315-472-1949, 489 Westcott St.

Published on October 3, 2006 at 12:00 pm