Add your own personality to a store-bought Halloween costume by pairing it with the right accessories.
Invent a character:
Think of yourself as a character in a performance play. People who don't know anything about you are going to be looking to your costume for clues about who and what you are. In order for you to throw your audience some hints about who you are, you have to be in touch with your character. Give him or her a name, a history and some likes and dislikes. Make sure some of your character's likes are your own likes as well. For example, you are Brenda the witch who got kicked out of witch school for preferring the color pink over black. This way you aren't just any old witch from the Halloween mega-store shelves, but your friends will recognize your signature color, pink, as a personalized touch.
Accessorize:
Accessories are easy to shop for and can easily be chosen according to your individual taste. They are the key to a nearly-homemade Halloween costume. Incorporate the character's likes into the costume through accessories. Imagine Brenda the almost-bad witch mentioned earlier. Who says a witch can't wear pink chandelier earrings and a wide pink wide belt over her dress? To personalize by accessorizing, start thinking shoes, jewelry, belts, and hats.
Shoes - The main objective when shopping for Halloween accessories is to pick items that say something about you. Say, for example, that you love shoes. There is nothing stopping you from changing Dorothy's red slippers into bright red patent leather knee highs.
Jewelry - In October it is so easy to find Halloween accessories to match your costume at the Halloween mega-store, but those are not the kind you want. Spider rings and pumpkin earrings have their place but go for something more you. To find great and cheap accessories, try shopping in a cheap accessories store or maybe visit a department store.
Belts - These items add a more noticeable personal touch to the costume than jewelry does. If a costume calls for a baseball cap, wear one with your favorite team on it. If it calls for a pointy sorcerer's hat, add a colored ribbon or a monogrammed band around it.
Hats - If you need a belt, choose one in your favorite color. For a country-themed costume, try visiting a western-wear store to browse through a variety of huge belt buckles.
