• Choose a specific theme for your costume party so guests have a guideline for how to dress.skeleton costume image by Charlie Rosenberg from Fotolia.com
  
  Deciding on a costume party is the easy part, now you need a theme. For a general costume party, guests can wear anything and everything, giving the event a Halloween-ish feel. A themed costume party still gives your guests plenty of options, but requires everyone to wear something reflecting a specific concept. Get teens excited about dressing up for a costume party by choosing a theme that appeals to their common desire to express themselves in outlandish, edgy and fashionable ways.
  
  

1920s Theme Party

• The 1920s were known as the Roaring Twenties. The decade saw drinking and gambling go underground, hemlines go up and mobsters emerge to virtually run certain parts of the country. Costume choices for boys include zoot suits and old-fashioned pinstriped suits. A fedora or similar hat and a pocket handkerchief make perfect accessories. The guys can also add fake spats to their shoes and carry toy machine guns or flasks. Teenage girls can also have fun with this theme, wearing flapper dresses, which reach the knee or slightly above, feature beading, sequins, feathers and other decorations. A feathered headband, white powder for the face and bright red lipstick help complete the look.
  
  

Masquerade Ball

• The focus of a masquerade ball costume party is on keeping the face covered, until it's time to remove the masks. Begin by picking the right mask and use that as inspiration for the rest of the costume. Go as a dramatic or tragic figure by pairing a simple mask in this style with a black unitard or a black shirt and black pants. For a more elaborate look, wear an old-fashioned dress, complete with a corseted or tight top and long, flowing skirt. Match the clothing with a feathered mask that covers just the area around your eyes and is mounted on a stick so you can easily hold it up to your face and drop it as desired.
  
  

TV and Movie Night

• A simple way to get teens involved in a costume party is to choose a theme that centers around television shows and movies that are popular with their age group and have them dress as their favorite characters. Create a Twilight costume by covering all exposed skin with glitter paint, donning plastic fangs and topping off the look with black clothing. Girls can take a totally different approach and dress as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. For this outfit, pair knee-high boots with a knee-length skirt and tank top, wear a blond wig and carry a wooden stake.