It's October Thirtywhat?

Your Last-Minute Costume Guide

by Nikki Volpicelli

Here you are ... again. It's Mischief Night, and the closest thing you've got to a costume is the sheet on your bed. You could always scramble to the nearest Halloween Adventure and fight over what's left of the pirate get-ups and Playboy bunny suits, but you're craftier than that.

Girls, you're in luck. This boy-centric vintage shop has a special "ladies night" on Thursdays, complete with racks of retro dresses, '50s blouses, bowling jackets and saddle shoes. In addition to the usual dude duds and platform shoes, they've got a $69 disco outfit. You might end up shelling out some money here, but the pieces work year-round with a little dressing down. Perfect for: cast of That '70s Show, Village People.

This Port Richmond diamond has a great selection of ready-made costumes as well as separate pieces to pick and choose from, including a dizzying array of swishy jogging suits in some of the craziest patterns and colors ever to share a piece of nylon. It's also the place to pick up that little red skirt suit on the cheap that's bound to be a front-runner this year. (You'll have to go elsewhere for the bikini-shotgun number.) Perfect for: Sarah Palin, DJ Jazzy Jeff, any glorious combination of the two.

We know — you know already. But Retrospect has tables specifically designed for the Halloweener with little time to waste (aka you) full of masquerade masks, boas, pillbox hats and Cleopatra wigs. Don't forget to check out their usual rack of ugly sequined prom dress disasters and shelves of cowboy boots on the back wall. Perfect for: Hunter S. Thompson, Indiana Jones, Edie Sedgwick.

As we spent our Tuesday afternoon perusing this South Street oddball's collection of pig masks and bloody head bolts, a huge man in a luchador mask stumbled through the front door. "You could come in and pick up a Halloween costume in the middle of January," said the unaffected employee, referring to the executioner's hoods and fake rubber boobs that sit alongside colorful wigs, an entire wall of custom mustaches and original vintage finds. Perfect for: Captain Spaulding, Charlie Chaplin.

Sephora's new collection from tattoo artist Kat Von D has the smoky eye, blood lip, old Hollywood glamour thing down, and Shu Uemura's Tokyo Lash Bar will keep you nice and batty. Check out the site for Halloween makeup tips, like using regular old lip stain on the corners of your mouth for a quick vampire effect. Perfect for: Dita Von Teese, the Joker.