Athens, Georgia has a long history of costuming for Halloween and for the Boybutante AIDS Foundation. We have a fantastic Halloween parade, The Wild Rumpus, which started small a few years ago and is now a huge event. The best costumes combine a good idea with attention to detail. The holy grail, I think, is for a costume to be conceptual AND interactive, but I have rarely achieved that. Costumes, to me, are a one-time, ephemeral event. A lot like life! I do some homework on costumes before I make one. If you are are in the thinking stage of your costume, I hope some of this inspires or helps you. Happy costuming!