I had some friends visiting town one year on Halloween night, and though I’m usually too lazy to even bother with the outfit thing, those same out-of-towners had actually brought costumes along in case we hit a party that night. And we did have a party to hit, so I had to improvise with Duct-Tape Man. Just a couple warnings to the uninitiated:

1. Make sure you have enough duct tape before embarking on the endeavor (especially if you’re embarking at the last minute). Irrespective of any body issues we might have, we people have a lot of surface area to cover, as it turns out. That roll you remembered throwing in a corner of the basement might not be enough.
2. Remember that at some point in the night, especially if you’re drinking at whatever engagement you debut your costume, you’re likely to need to use the restroom. Tailors have figured this out, what with the buttons and zippers and stuff, but amateur tailors can be forgetful, which can make for challenging trips to the loo.