Ashley Calandra, 24, fashion public relations, East Village
Favorite Friends character: “Rachel.”
Childhood hero: “Morticia from The Addams Family—she’s chic, even undead.”
Should dress as... Fashion’s queen bee, Anna Wintour
How: Ashley is stylish and fearless, so she can get Anna’s iconic post–Fashion Week look by donning a faux-fur coat, like this Forever 21 steal (belted faux-fur jacket, $34.80, forever21.com) and splattering it with red paint—blame the PETA protesters. Add a pageboy bob wig, oversize designer shades, heels and pearls. Don’t smile—just purse your lips for a truly chilling effect.
Jen Aloisi, 24, event planner, and Chris Ham, 28, investment management consulting manager; Upper East Side
If you were a drink, what would you be? Jen: “A Shirley Temple.” Chris: “Captain and Coke.”
Childhood hero: Jen: “Punky Brewster and old-school Mariah Carey, frizzy hair and all.” Chris: “Patrick Ewing.”
Should dress as... Saved by the Bell sweethearts Jesse Spano and A.C. Slater
How: She’s a straitlaced, big-hair-loving good girl, and he’s a jock who doesn’t mind showing a bit of skin. She can rock high-waisted mom jeans (Lee, $24.99-27.99, jcpenny.com), a frumpy turtleneck and teased hair in a scrunchie—and she should definitely carry a bottle of “I’m so excited!” speed pills. He’ll be able to show off his guns and quads in this after-wresting-practice look: a sporty mesh tank (American Apparel, $29, americanapparel.com) in a bright color, short shorts, high socks and classic kicks. He should call her “Mama,” and she should tell him that he’s a “sexist pig.”
Where to wear it: Head to Dave & Busters’s Halloween bash (234 W 42nd St between Seventh and Eighth Aves; 646-495-2015, daveandbusters.com; Oct 31, $10), where games, mischief and good ol’ flirty competition are encouraged.
Dana Kamerman, 21, student, Soho
G-string or granny panties? “G-string.”
Childhood hero: “Michelle Tanner from Full House.”
Should dress as... Miley Cyrus circa her notorious Vanity Fair portrait shot by Annie Leibovitz.
How: Dana may have a teenybopper side, but she also keeps things spicy, so she can dare to be risqué like Hannah Montana. Simply wrap yourself in a store-brand white sheet (Bed Bath & Beyond, $14.99, bedbathandbeyond.com)—undergarments optional. Ratty bedhead, smudged eyeliner and cherry lip gloss pull together Miley’s not-a-girl-not-yet-a-woman style.
Where to wear it: Ride the mechanical bull at Johnny Utah’s on Halloween (25 W 51st St between Fifth and Sixth Aves; 212-265-8824, johnnyutahs.com; Oct 31 at 9pm, $10) and you’ll surely make it into a few YouTube videos (the open bar until 10pm will only help).
Tim Pare, 24, receptionist/actor, East Village
Childhood hero: “Charlie Conway from The Mighty Ducks.”
Twilight, True Blood or Buffy? “Buffy, circa 1992.”
Should dress as... Justin Timberlake impersonating Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” backup dancers on Saturday Night Live.
How: Tim is masculine with a side of bitch, and he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Get the look with a black leotard (American Apparel, $34, americanapparel.com), tights, a pair of black pumps and hell of a lot of Sasha Fierce confidence.
Where to wear it: Dance the night away at Sequoia’s Haunted Halloween on the Pier (89 South St at Pier 17; 212-732-9090, arkrestaurants.com; Oct 31 at 9pm, $20), where DJs Camilo and Alkaline will be spinning hip-hop and Latin music while you overlook the harbor.
Alison Feller, 24, magazine editor, Midtown West
If you were a drink, what drink would you be? “Stoli Salad: a mix of every kind of Stoli, cranberry juice and pineapple juice. It’s so sweet, but goes right to your head.”
Childhood hero: “Barbie and Rainbow Brite.”
Should dress as... Fruit diva Chiquita Banana
How: Alison isn’t afraid of color or a bit of festivity. She should buy a tropical headpiece (Carmen Miranda Fruit Hat, $19.99, amazon.com)—or make one with a swim cap, red fabric, plastic fruit and a heck of a lot of super glue. Pair it with a bright, frilly top and aruffled skirt. Red lips and faux lashes complete Chiquita’s coquettish look. Carry a basket and hand out fruit to trick-or-treaters, incurring the wrath of candy freaks everywhere.
Where to wear it: The Candyland Halloween at the Carlton Hotel (88 Madison Ave between 28th and 29th Sts; 212-572-1000, carltonhotelny.com; Oct 31 at 9pm, $30) will be designed by Marquee designer Steve Lewis to look like a two-level sugar-rush, featuring DJ Nick Cohen and free rock-candy shots and cocktails from 9 to 10pm. Your fruit will be a welcome standout.
Arthur Sherman, 27, financial advisor, UES
Favorite Friends character: “Chandler.”
Childhood hero: “He-Man.”
Should dress as... The under-construction Second Avenue Subway
How: Arthur can tap in to his dude-brah side by going as New York’s long-delayed east-side T line. On a medium blue T-shirt, use white tape to create a T with a circle around it. Rock a hard hat (hard construction helmet, $6.99, Ricky’s), a tool belt, jeans and beat-up pair of Timberlands. Make sure to arrive everywhere late and make lots of noise.
Where to wear it: The T might not be running, but that doesn’t mean you can’t travel around the city during three Manhattan pub crawls for Halloweve (Venues vary, pubcrawls.com/halloween; Oct 30 at 5pm, $15), Halloween (Oct 31 at 2pm, $25) or Halloween Hangover (Oct 1 at 11am, $15). There are numerous drink specials (like two-for-one pumpkin ales) and the annual event is the Guinness World Record holder for the largest pub crawl.
Jeremiah Paulin, 24, art director, Williamsburg
If you were a drink, what drink would you be? “Colt 45, endorsed by Billy Dee Williams.”
Childhood hero: “I used to watch Space Jam on repeat—so, R. Kelly.”
Should dress as... Twitter
How: Jeremiah is a cool dork who should take a futuristic approach to his costume and dress as the Internet’s current fad (seriously). Dress in robin’s egg blue and attach a small bluebird (bluebird plush animal, $8.95, animalden.com) on your shoulder. Print out a copy of your latest Twitter feed and tape it to your back. On the front of your shirt write your Twitter name in fabric pen and paste a picture of yourself; keep your BlackBerry or iPhone in hand at all times, tweeting compulsively. Talk in Twitter slang, e.g., refer to people as “tweeps.” Then prepare to get punched.
Where to wear it: Meet like-minded geeks on Halloween at the kitschy outer-space-themed venue Mars 2112 (1633 Broadway at 50th St; 212-489-2112, mars2112.com; Oct 31 at 9pm, $30). Costumes are required, and despite the goofy theme, this is an adults-only event.
Mike Drake, 40, toymaker and photographer Jackson Heights, Queens
Favorite Friends character: “Phoebe—not only do I march to my own drummer, I play the drum.”
Twilight, True Blood or Buffy? “True Blood has more characters I want to…suck.”
Should dress as... Brüno
How: As a unique spirit who knows what to say to get a rise out of people, Mike would make the perfect flamboyant Austrian. Get this fashionisto’s iconic style online (Halloween31, $49.99, halloween31.com), or scare up some lederhosen two sizes too small. Talk in an accent and be sure to flirt, provoke and offer endless outrageous fashion advice.
Where to wear it: Don’t break character speed-dating at Single and the City’s 2009 Halloween Singles Party (The Watering Hole, 106 E 19th St between Park Ave South and Irving St; 212-674-5783, wateringholenyc.com; Oct 31 at 9pm, $24). If conversation gets awkward or boring, you can always heat things up by talking about your African baby, OJ.
Cute article. Thats said, I would imagine Drake, being the author of HALLOWEEN IN NEW YORK (by Mike Drake) would attend the famous Village Halloween parade. After all, nothing is more fun on Halloween and its only in NY!
I agree... Halloweenparties.com had a bunch of these parties listed on their site. Candyland and Mars 2112 both looked very cool...but there are so many options! I don't know which party to choose!
Single And the City is also having a party on Friday night - a firemen's party to be exact! All the men will be NYC firemen! you can get more information and tickets at www.halloweenparties.com
I went to halloweenparties.com as well and found links to soo many halloween parties!! The prices all seem reasonable too! Trying to decide between these two: http://halloweenparties.com/Events/ShowEvent.aspx?eventId=19 http://halloweenparties.com/Events/ShowEvent.aspx?eventId=21 decisions, decisions!!!
I went to a SingleAndTheCity party recently and it was great. I'm definitely headed there for halloween. website: www.SingleAndTheCity.com
These parties look great. I went to halloweenparties.com, where they were all listed and there are so many tickets to choose from.
I just bought my tickets for the PubCrawl super cheap here: http://halloweenparties.com/events/?zoneId=3307210&affCode=c45c8165dd0e4e04b37b They have tickets to all the other parties up there too if you want them
You guys didn't actually put a link to the party but I found it. If you're interested in registering go to www.SingleAndTheCity.Com. It's actually $25.00 but you can use the promocode AMBER to save $5.00. It's not speed dating, but a singles party and from what I hear it's gonna be AWESOME.