Vampires are legendary creatures of the night who want nothing more than to suck the blood from their victims.  They are also closely linked to Halloween.  They are creepy and ghoulish creatures and represent death and dying – in a most hideous manner.  The vampire is also one of the most classic costumes for Halloween and creating a classic vampire costume is a whole lot of fun.  It's easy to get what you need at your local dollar store, discount store, secondhand store, or even a party supply store, but most importantly you need a little imagination in order to create something that will be fantastic in a macabre sort of way.

Let's start with the clothing.  Our image of the classic vampire is often that of Dracula and so our vampires tend to be very well-dressed.  This means that ladies should have a fancy dress, ankle-length or even trailing on the ground.  Black is the ideal color and if you can get one with a lace-up bodice and made of velvet or silk and edged with lace, then you are all set.  For the guys a white shirt buttoned to the neck and a tuxedo or black suit will do nicely.  Just remember the fancier the better.  Think evening wear for a fancy ball.  Then all you have to add is a cape and some fancy dress shoes.  The cape can be bought in a costume shop or a second-hand shop or you can easily make one.  Just get a long piece of black fabric and pin it around your neck.

Now the clothing is certainly the main part of the costume, but without the accessories and the makeup the clothing alone won't make a very convincing vampire.  Makeup is absolutely crucial to a good and frightening vampire costume.  Get some white powder and go over your face, giving it a white hue.  How ghoulish is that?  Then you can use red or pink lip liner under your eyes for a deathly look and some black mascara on your eyelashes.  You can darken your eyebrows too and add some dark shadows under your eyes.  Deep red lipstick will finish it off, although you can also use white or even black lipstick if you prefer.  Then all you need to do is tease your hair and streak it with white for the full effect.

Next you need to add accessories.  Of course, the most important accessory is the vampire teeth.  You simply must have these to complete the look.  You can get the old-style plastic teeth, wax teeth, Hollywood-style teeth, and even candy teeth are available.  Then you can add a little fake blood dribbling from the corners of your mouth and you are all set.  You can add some jewelry if you wish and you will look like a true vampire with all the fear and mystery that comes with the role.

This Halloween dressing up as a vampire may just be the thing to do.  If you think it is only for kids, then think again.  And if you haven't dressed up as a vampire since you were a kid, then this is the perfect time to plunge in and do it as an adult.  Check around the back of your closet and your local shops to find the best deals you can and you will be able to put together a very authentic vampire costume with just a small budget and a lot of imagination.  When you show up at your Halloween costume party, all you need to do to be a convincing vampire is nudge a few necks and you will have people scrambling to get away from you.  Well, maybe not, but they might be more inclined to put a drink in your hand to abate your thirst.