Period Costumes

• Anyone with patience and a good eye can make a period-piece costume with clothing found at the local thrift store, plus the result will be truly unique. Unlike store-bought versions, costumes you assemble from vintage pieces are one-of-a-kind. Teenage girls can use retro dresses to create disco queen and flapper costumes. Tutus and corset tops can be used to piece together an 80's punk rocker outfit. Boys can get in on the action by scouring the store for old suits suitable for gin-running gangsters or stranded prom dates from the past.
  
  

Female Movie and Pop Culture Costumes

• "Pulp Fiction" fans can combine a second-hand white dress shirt and black capris pants to create a Mia Wallace outfit. Place a little fake blood under Mia's nose and glue a fake hypodermic syringe to her chest to add a little flair. Girls can also dress up like Flo, the Progressive Insurance girl featured in the company's commercials. Grab a used blue shirt, white slacks and an apron to imitate her look. A nametag, fake eyelashes, red and lipstick finishes your Flo costume.
  
  

Male Movie and Pop Culture Costumes

• Teenage boys can dress up like Shaun of "Shaun of the Dead." They just need to search the thrift store racks for a white dress shirt and slacks. A little fake blood around the shirt pocket and a name tag makes the outfit complete. Boys can also buy a used black suit, tie and sunglasses to transform themselves into their favorite "Reservoir Dogs" character. On the other hand, a secondhand business suit can also be combined with pink headbands, wristbands and weights to bring the Mayhem character from the Allstate Insurance commercials to life.
  
  

Other Costumes

• Because thrift store clothing is usually cheap, you can tear, burn and otherwise destroy your purchases to create the right look. For instance you can create a lightening victim costume by burning the edges of a normal outfit and using hair gel to make your hair stand on end. The wide clothing selection available at junk stores also makes it possible to add strange pieces together to make unique costumes. For example, combine a black robe to fashion a traditional grim reaper costume, then dress it down with a Hawaiian shirt and a lei to take Death on vacation. Or pick out any clothes you like and accompany the outfit with a sign that exclaims, "Nudist on strike!"