The Jumpsuit

• The base of a good Ghostbuster costume is the classic jumpsuit. Use a jumpsuit intended for working in the yard for your costume; choose a shade of tan, brown, gray or blue to match the original cast. If you cannot find a jumpsuit, a button-down shirt or zip-up jacket paired with pants in the same color will suffice; under the rest of the costume it won't be noticeable.
  
  

The Gear

• A good Ghostbuster never leaves home without his ghost-busting equipment. A dark colored backpack on your shoulders will represent the proton packs. Use a plastic toy gun -- spray painted black if it comes in bright colors -- to add to this accessory; slide it in the top of the backpack and pull it out through the zipper to blast ghosts periodically throughout the night. Paint a shoebox to look like a ghost trap, cutting a pair of flap doors in the lid and tying it to some rope or string so you can sling it across the floor in front of you to catch the ghosts and carry them home.
  
  

The Finishing Details

• Put those extra touches on your outfit that take you from heavily armed janitor to real Ghostbuster. Paint the classic ghost logo on the back of your outfit using white, red and black fabric paints. Wear lace-up boots on your feet and buckle a belt around your waist with a walkie talkie strapped onto it for communicating with your fellow 'Busters. Carry around some slime in your pocket and smear it on your outfit just before you arrive at the party to show that you've just been shot with ghostly ectoplasm from a spectral encounter.
  
  

Other Options

• The fab four Ghostbusters don't have to be your only inspiration this Halloween. Put on your best "nerd" outfit -- heavy glasses, high-waisted pants and a sweater vest -- and walk around all night claiming to be the Keymaster, looking for the Gatekeeper. Put on a slinky red dress, tease your hair out curly and be Dana, the Gatekeeper. Walk around claiming that "there is no Dana, only Zuul." Wear your hair short and red, add a pair of pointed glasses and some colorful clothing and answer phones all night as Janine, the Ghostbusters' faithful receptionist. Or don a giant green sweatsuit, stuff it full of extra laundry to make yourself fat, and throw pudding at people all night so you can portray Slimer the Ghost.