by Matt Bird

Created on: October 04, 2010   Last Updated: October 05, 2010

Halloween night is quickly creeping up on the world, and as it does so too does the decision of what to wear. Most people will probably go for the standard stuff - vampires, ghouls, ghosts, skeletons, and sexy versions of every creature thereof - though not everyone wants to go with the norm. Some want to stand out, and will probably look back on the events of 2010 to choose their upcoming visage.

Stuck for ideas? Here are a things that made it big in the pop culture circles of 2010. Not all of them will be kid-friendly, of course, but since when was Halloween only about youngsters?

- Some form of iAccessory. You can be an iPhone. An iPad. An iPod. An iWhatever. The i line is still hitting it big worldwide, and as long as you stick that simple Apple logo on your back everyone will immediately know what you are. Extra points if you can somehow give yourself a touch screen.

- Any of the cast members from Lost. This particular writer doesn't watch the show, but it's tough to deny the effect it had on couch potatoes worldwide. And how difficult can some dirty outfit be to assemble?

- Any of the cast members from The Tudors. Another popular one, and if you can pull off the Jonathan Rhys-Meyers look you'll probably have women fawning over your every move. This is a more expensive trend to follow since those costumes cost a bundle, but boy will you look stylish. (Go as anyone else from the series, though, and you'll risk not being recognized. They all die so fast...)

- A zombie. Zombies are back. Big time. They have been for several years, true, but every year the craze just gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger...

- Lindsay Lohan. And yes, not to be mean, but you should probably be sporting some prison orange when you don that blond wig.

- Betty White. Who knows why she's made such a comeback - she just HAS, and that's more than enough to pull out an old, fluffy white toupee and pretend you like Snickers.

- The Fail Whale. More people will know what you are than won't. (For the rest you can say you tried Free Willy and messed up on the species. Hence you failed. Get it?)

- Lady Gaga. Hopefully the night won't be cold, and that you won't be around any kids... or, if you go for the meat dress, any hungry dogs.

And last, for a big list of movie-based trenders who you'd look good as:

- The Mad Hatter from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Though most won't find him quite as attractive as Johnny Depp's other women-loving characters (looking at you, Jack Sparrow) it's tough not to love that hat mixed with that hair. Anyone else in the movie is good costume fodder, as well, though the Mad Hatter takes the prize.

- Iron Man. He's everywhere these days. And he's not even the best Marvel superhero! Eesh!

- One of the Twilight characters. Most of us hope you won't go this route, though...

- Scott Pilgrim. (Yes, a lot of movie characters.) It's such a simple outfit. T-shirt, jacket, a mopey,  mousy look... and crazy ninja moves. Damn right.

- An owl, from Legend of the Guardians. This is a book-based suggestion, though the recent release of the film will have kids lining up for fake feathers in droves.

- Harry Potter. Or Hermione. Or Ron. Or Voldemort. Or Neville. Or Luna. Or Draco. Or Dumbledore. Or Snape. Or... well, needless to say everyone will know you're at least from the Harry Potter series, and you'll be in fashion for several years yet.

The sky's the limit. All you really need to do is think back on 2010 and consider who or what you talked about most. The ideas will naturally flow from there, and most of them will be celebrities with some kind of drug problem or bizarre fashion sense. Yay!

Learn more about this author, Matt Bird.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.