Last year American consumers spent over 5 billion dollars on Halloween. That’s 5 billion dollars worth of candy, decorations and costumes. All of that spending breaks down to an average of around sixty-six dollars per person. But you don’t have to break the bank in order to come up with a great adult Halloween costume idea. A few things to keep in mind are where you’ll be wearing your costume. If you’re going to an outdoor event such as a parade consider the possible weather conditions. If you’re headed off to a Halloween party make sure you pick an outfit that you won’t mind wearing for a couple of hours.

You first stop for a fun adult Halloween costume idea should be your very own closet. Surely tucked away amid the sweaters, shoes and shirts are a couple of outfits that can best be described as “what was I thinking?” This could mean an extremely loud Hawaiian shirt that you add a cheep grass skirt to and go as the “wacked out tourist.” Or maybe you’ve got favorite disco outfit from the actual disco era that you can dust off and go as, well, as yourself from 1977!

If your closets don’t reveal any substantial adult Halloween costume ideas, head off to the store but not necessarily the costume store. You could spend fifteen dollars at the 99 Cent Store and buy fifteen items. Then merely attach these items to a shirt and jeans with safety pins and go to this Halloween party as the 99 Cent Store. You could also look up the closest outlet for medical supplies and pick up a pair of scrubs. Worn clean and you go as a “doctor.” Splashed with red food coloring and you go as a “doctor who had a very bad day.” There are also the army supply stores for the old stand-by of camouflage pants and shirts. You may also consider thrift stores to find some outrageous adult Halloween costume ideas. Those are perfect places for men who want to go in drag and need a cheap, big size dress.

If you’re feeling very creative another perfect adult Halloween costume idea would be to go as a zombie. You may think this requires a lot of work but actually all you need to do is get some theatrical make-up, cover your face with white base, darken circles under your eyes then grease up you hair. And no matter what outfit you wear, just add the word zombie such as zombie bride, zombie businessman, zombie jogger. You can’t go wrong with a zombie!

Celebrity halloween costumes are a tradition nearly as old as trick-or-treating itself. The reason celebrity Halloween costumes are so popular is because, well, celebrities are so popular. The point of most haloween costumes is to go as something that’s both clever and identifiable (and sometimes a bit improper), and therefore going as a celebrity has natural cache for the season.

Of course, the best celebrity Halloween costumes honor those that have recently passed. In that regard, 2009 is a red letter year for celebrity halloween costumes since we’ve had to bid farewell to so many famous people. Think about it… Michael Jackson, Billy Mays, Teddy Kennedy, Farrah Fawcett and Bea Arthur are ones that jump immediately to mind. Obviously Michael Jackson lends himself to about five different costume ideas just by himself.

Back several years ago I went as John Lieber, a New York yankees pitcher who had died in a plane crash just days before. Sick, obviously, but it’s the type of costume that gets a reaction at the best parties. And that’s the point of dressing up this Halloween in the first place, isn’t it?

NRF.com had a long piece on the role Pop Culture, if not necessarily celebrities themselves, have on the holiday and what people choose to dress as:

Washington, October 2, 2008 – As more people plan to celebrate this Halloween, consumers are looking to Hollywood and the upcoming election as their inspiration for costumes. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2008 Haloween Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGresearch, an estimated 51.8 million adults plan to don some sort of costume for the big night. Their children – and pets – will also dress up for the occasion.

While traditional costumes like witches (14.9%), pirates (4.4%) and cats (2.5%) remain favorites among adults, children are adding a bit more flair by choosing from personas Hannah Montana (#3), and Star Wars characters (#6). Other popular children’s costumes include the top-ranked princess (10.5%), witch (3.9%), Spider-Man (3.5%) and pirate (3.3%).

“Hollywood has tremendous influence over what adults, children and even pets wear on Halloween,” said Tracy Mullin, NRF President and CEO. “Consumers who have their heart set on a particular Halloween costume should start shopping now because the most popular items will go quickly.”

So don’t hesitate to look to Hollywood for the best celebrity halloween costumes. It’s a sure winner.

The best part of Haloween is probably all of the costumes – in fact, being a male, this Halloween is one of the best holidays of the year. Why is that, you might ask? Simply because of the nature of female Halloween costumes.

Female Halloween costumes have definitely begun to follow a trend, with no end in sight. This trend is to take any and every possible costume idea for females and making them “naughty”. Naughty female Halloween costumes are everywhere, and men everywhere are grateful, right? Well, not exactly. While I must admit that the additional amount of skin showing on October 31st, I have to say that the naughty Halloween costumes have gone a little too far.

Don’t get me wrong – I like seeing the sexy outfits as much as the next guy, but some of these naughty female Halloween costumes have gotten a little ridiculous. Sure, something like a naughty female devil makes a certain amount of sense. But some of them have gotten completely ridiculous, like a naughty cat. I am sorry, but there is nothing provocative about a cat, and the idea that a women would dress up as a cat to be seductive is weird.

In fact, all of these naughty female costumes are starting to blend into one another. Sure, they seem like a good idea at the time, but remember, you are not going to be at your costume by yourself – there are going to be dozens or hundreds, even thousands of other people, and you have no idea what they are going to wear. Although, it is become awfully standard for females to wear naughty Haloween costumes and, naturally, to look like everyone else.

So if you want to stand out this Halloween, avoid the naughty costumes. What sort of female Halloween costumes might I recommend? I think it is always good for a lady to show that she has a good sense of humor, and there are a lot more funny female Halloween costumes out there than you might think. You might be the only woman at your party not dressing up naughty, and that will definitely let you stand out; in a good way. Of course, if you are going to go with the naughty costumes, please do not choose something that cannot really be naughty; you will look ridiculous, especially if other ladies dress up as something that’s not naughty – then you don’t even blend in.

Alice In Wonderland remains not only my favorite Disney film, but one of my favorite pieces of satire in the history of english language literature. And it’s not just me – millions appreciate Lewis Carroll’s masterwork to be a true triumph of both art and subversion, and it remains as popular with kids and adults today as it was a century ago.

As a result, alice wonderland costumes are some of the most popular both any and every Haloween, not just for this halloween. Whether you want to dress up like Alice herself, or the Queen of Hearts, or the always-popular Cheshire Cat, or the hooka-smoking caterpillar, you have a litany of choices that no other story can provide.

Personally I think the best of the alice wonderland costumes is the Dormouse. He’s the forgotten one at Alice’s tea party, which features The Mad Hatter, The March Hare, Alice and the forgotten Dormouse. He’s a small, nearly silent, drunk. It’s the perfect role to play at a Haloween party if you’re so inclined, and easy costume to do, and if you can convince your other friends to go as the other characters, more’s the better. As in the film and book, you can even have someone go as the table (which itself was alive in Carroll’s story.)

The fun part about alice wonderland costumes is that they can work as subversion on several levels, the first being that which Carroll originally intended. But it’s also worth remember that Alice In Wonderland herself is now a symbol of purity and innocence in a culture gone awry with sexuality; thus, “Sexy Alice In Wonderland” is a very popular costume today for young women. There’s something absolutely delightful about making something as wholesome as a Disney cartoon into an exhibition for the very basest of impulses which Walt Disney himself abhorred. One suspects that Carroll would approve of the decision.

Of course, the other characters are even more fun. The Mad Hatter is probably the best of the alice wonderland costumes (my love for the Dormouse notwithstanding) because he’s so recognizable and fun. Remember the riddle he poses to Alice, “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” It’s meant to be unsolvable, and if you’re really willing to get into character and give it a go you can just talk gibberish all night and win plaudits for it. Sounds like a great costume idea this Halloween!

This Halloween is not just reserved for the joy of children. Adults love to celebrate Halloween, including pregnant women. Pregnant women may have had problems finding maternity Halloween costumes in the past, but now there are a wide variety that are easily available. Some Halloween costumes for women are categorically risqué, and maternity Halloween costumes are no exception. While some women try to conceal their pregnant mid sections, others flaunt it. Some women choose to accentuate their legs and arms instead. Some common maternity Halloween costumes include: a Maternity Devil Lady Costume, a Maternity Angel Costume, a Red Hot Mama Costume, a Juliet Costume, a Roman Toga Mistress Costume, a Statue of Liberty Costume and many more.

While pregnant women are strongly discouraged to drink, many still attend Haloween parties and have a wonderful time. They can still dance, bob for apples; compete in this Halloween costume contest, etc.

There are many places to purchase maternity Halloween costumes such as a costume shop, a big box store or online. Most of the costumes do not come with accessories. For example, a witch costume will not include a broom or a doll costume will not include a wig.

Many maternity Halloween costumes show off a woman’s legs. The skirts or shorts are short and the legs look longer. Most of the costumes fit up to dress size fourteen. While costumes sizes vary, maternity Halloween costumes range from thirty to sixty dollars. If they are purchased online, shipping will have to be paid for as well.

One very original and funny maternity Halloween costume is a large sandwich board that resembles a typical name tag someone may see at a meeting that the woman wears over a black turtleneck and leggings. The costume says “HELLO I’m PREGNANT!” as if the person is named “Pregnant”. It gets a lot of laughs and is a good way to break the ice. Another clever costume is when a woman again wears a black turtleneck and leggings with a large soft foam stove over the front of her body. The oven, which is part of the stove, has a visible foam bun in it. This plays off the common term “bun in the oven” and makes many people smile.

Since a pregnant woman’s belly is round, there are many ways to play off the shape and make it seem like a natural part of the haloween costume. You can basically paint the belly to resemble anything round like a sports ball, vegetable or globe and then dress like whoever would be holding that particular object.