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Top Spots to find a Halloween Costume

Last year, you let that Halloween party invitation languish on your kitchen counter for weeks and then zipped over to the neighborhood thrift store to search for a costume ten minutes before closing. You showed up at the party dressed, again, as a polka-dotted ghost (hint: a white sheet would have worked better.) This year, you swear, things will be different. When the invites roll in, you will start working on your costume. It is going to be brilliant, creative, maybe even scary! Now, the only problem is: Where do you find it? From costume houses to vintage shops, here are some of our favorite places to do it up for Halloween .

1. Aahs!!   West Hollywood

An unassuming gift shop by day, during the spooky season the West Hollywood outpost of this wacky emporium transforms into a one-stop shop for everything that you need for Halloween night.


2. Aardvark's Odd Ark   Pasadena

The Pasadena branch of this upscale thrift store is chock full of bell bottoms, blue jeans, platform shoes, Hawaiian and Western-style shirts, and vintage suits and lingerie.


3. Adele's of Hollywood  

This Hollywood costume shop has been servicing L.A.'s dress-up needs since 1945, creating looks for movie studios, school productions and individuals. This Halloween, head over to Adele's to find the perfect costume for a horrifyingly awesome night!


4. Cinema Secrets Beauty Supply   Burbank

Wardrobe is only a fragment of the look for Halloween—the way to push the creepy envelope really lies in your makeup. Head over to this industry (as in film) favorite for all your scare-hair, bone-chilling cosmetics and prop needs. Thanks to professional-grade latex, foam, theatrical and glamour makeup alongside seriously ridiculous masks, you're sure to be the most realistic ghoul at the party after a trip to Cinema Secrets.


5. Crossroads Trading Co.   West Hollywood

Wanna be a Silverlake hipster or Mary Kate this Halloween? Head over to this recycled-clothing outpost and kill two birds with one stone when you find that perfect costume/outfit-you'll-wear-for-the-rest-of-the-year. Hey, just because it's Halloween doesn't mean you have to dress up like a clown.


6. Dapper Cadaver   Hollywood

Seriously, you thought "Living Lohan" was your worst nightmare, but step into this freak-show dungeon and prepare to wet your pants and cry for mommy. Dapper Cadaver spares no one the goriest, creepiest, most fear-inducing oddity-laden spectacles in Hollywood—Joan Rivers' face included. Find everything you could possibly need for a fright fest worthy of sleeping with the lights on or months at this professional death-related prop shop.


7. Halloween BOOtique   Hollywood

Located in the Hollywood and Highland mall, this pop-up boo-tique is 10,000 square feet of Halloween madness. You could spend days here scouring the costumes, props, decorations, wigs, accessories and more. Unless you've got unlimited time, patience and money, it's probably best to go in with a plan and friends to tackle this terrifyingly large Halloween outpost. Otherwise, you might end up deciding that you need the fog machine, animatronic ghosts, five scary soundtracks…


8. Halloween Town   Burbank

The name says it all and the goods speak for themselves—sometimes literally—at this fully themed horror headquarters. Find costumes, props, makeup, accessories and all things from the crypt at this haunted boutique. Costumes are inexpensive and can run on the generic side, but the in-store experience will totally put you in the Halloween mood and get you amped for a night of spooky fun.


9. Hollywood Toys & Costumes   Hollywood

When you enter this costume shop, you walk over skeleton in a coffin (visible through a glass floor.) If that doesn't scream Halloween, check out the large selection of everything from angel's wings to ostrich plumes; fake beards to kitty ears; kiddie capes to go-go boots.


10. Junk For Joy   Burbank

Perfect for inexpensive, funky, out-there Halloween costumes. You can spend hours in here getting lost in piles of stuff to construct your quintessentially quirky outfit. Featuring a mix of vintage and new clothing and accessories, Junk for Joy will give you what you need without breaking the bank.


11. Make Believe Inc.   Santa Monica

If you can imagine it, this costume shop probably has it. The great rental department means you can get dressed to the nines as Marie Antoinette or Napoleon starting at only $55 per day. The store also has an extensive collection of costumes for sale. Pop in to find—or get fitted for—your flawless Halloween look.


12. Ozzie Dots   East Hollywood (Thai Town)

Located on Hollywood Blvd., Ozzie Dots is a Halloween haven with hundreds of costumes ranging from the classic (think devil, ghost, witch, etc.) to the, well, unexpected (a chicken costume anyone?).


13. Robinson Beautilities   Mar Vista

Looking for an eye patch? A mermaid's tail? Some vampire fangs? Head to this Mar Vista beauty supply/costume rental Mecca for make-up, wigs and what some consider to be the best selection of Halloween costumes in the city.


14. Spirit Halloween   Studio City

In an age when we have big box stores for everything from baby items to building supplies, it is only fitting that we have one for Halloween too. This nation-wide spooky-themed superstore sells costumes galore as well as decor, such as body parts, fog machines and tombstones.


15. St. Vincent De Paul   Lincoln Heights

This huge complex of buildings houses a monster selection of men's and women's used clothes.


16. Ursula's Costumes Inc.   Santa Monica

This Santa Monica costume shop has been outfitting trick-or-treaters since 1976, and this year is no exception. With everything from ghosts and goblins to Obama and McCain outfits, Ursula's will have what you want. Costumes range from $25 to $400, and the shop has a rental department offering outfits from $45 to $500 per day—just in case you didn't want to make that $500 investment in a bunny suit.


17. Valentino's Costumes   Van Nuys

Hidden away on a dead-end street in Van Nuys, this costume shop specializes in period pieces (think plumed hats, silk parasols and vintage jewelery.)


18. Western Costume Company   North Hollywood/Valley Village

Established in 1912, this film industry costume house has dressed everyone from Fred Astaire to Leonardo DiCaprio. They do private rentals on a weekly basis by appointment only.


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