Costume stores that won’t break the bank

Not wanting to spend a lot of money on a Halloween costume is no longer an excuse to be a witch or zombie for the seventh year in a row. Across Los Angeles there are tons of cheap costume shops, thrift stores and warehouses that will help you get creative and  ditch the broomstick.

Party City or Aahs are easy targets, but Halloween is about creativity, so wearing the same costume as someone else should be avoided at all costs. Sidestep the embarrassment and look elsewhere for ideas.

Start by trying to make your own costume with help from Michaels, the arts and crafts store. The nearest location is in Glendale, Calif. at 219 N. Glendale Ave., and is open from 9 a.m to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Yes, making a costume is challenging, but it is certainly much cheaper than either renting or buying one.

Cut up a white T-shirt, throw on some fishnets, buy striped red and white ribbon, make your own eye patch and fashion some cardboard into a sword. Twenty bucks later and boom, you’re a pirate. Men can do the same, though fishnets optional.

Cruise down Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood and tons of costume stores swarm both sides of the street, including Aardvark’s Odd Ark at 7579 Melrose Ave.

The prices range drastically at this vintage shop, but individual pieces will not cost as much as just one costume would, with the always needed, though never included, accessories found at traditional Halloween costume stores.

Aardvark’s has racks and racks of cheap, vintage clothing with an inventory capable of aiding your Captain Underpants idea. Their unique and ample selection is hard to find elsewhere, but be warned — there is that smell of “old-clothing” in the store. Stay strong, weed through the tons of options and keep your eye on the prize to find an innovative and cheap costume.

Make Believe Inc., located at 3240 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica, will let you rent or buy costumes at reasonable prices. If you plan on partying with your parents, bring the whole family to Make Believe Inc.; it has costumes for men, women, boys, girls, tweens, toddlers and animals.

From a very detailed and embroidered Queen of Hearts Costume to a perfect ensemble for a couple wanting to dress up as bacon and eggs, you will not be lacking ideas or money after your visit. The prices vary depending on the costume and since rentals last two days, you can wear it multiple nights.

None of the costumes can be purchased but the multitude of accessories include colorful fishnet stockings and boas, bloody teeth, clunky chains, crowns and every hat imaginable.

Western Costume Company, located at 11041 Vanowen St. in North Hollywood, will let you rent any costume for up to a week after Halloween. The store offers thousands of costumes from many major movies, including Aladdin, Austin Powers, Bandito and Dumb & Dumber.

Some caution should be taken with this store because the costumes can get pretty expensive depending on how detailed they are, however, you can certainly find several costumes that are less than $50, such as Annie, a go-go girl, a race car driver, Miss Muffet — even a playing card.

The store is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m to 7 p.m and you can even sign up for its newsletter to be notified of store updates and discounts. The staff will help with everything necessary to pull off that great look, so ask for help if you’re stumped on how to put together a design.

Although it might not be the first thing to come to mind, Goodwill is also a great store to explore.  Located at 2823 S. Figueroa St, — just blocks away from campus — the prices can’t be beat.

Goodwill has a weekly sales page that can be found on its website that will help you save even more this Halloween season. Each store even offers a “Halloween Boutique” where browsers are encouraged to mix and match clothing and accessories to create an authentic look. The store also carries already-assembled costumes with a wide selection of accessories including shoes, boots and masks.

Whoever said trick or treating was only acceptable until the age of 14 was the same person that told you to wear your ghost costume for the third Halloween in a row. Whoever this Negative Nancy is, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.

Hit up these cool and cheap places and make jaws drop. When else can you pretend to be someone else for a night or an entire weekend — depending, of course, on whether your professors thought it would be a good idea to schedule an exam on Nov. 1.