For some folks, dressing up isn’t just limited to finding the right Halloween costumes year after year. Dress-up parties are becoming more and more popular these days, as folks find that the fun of Halloween doesn’t have to be contained to one day a year.

If you think hosting a costume party would be a blast, but are at a loss for a theme, try these hot ideas that are sure to have your guests competing for best-dressed attendee.

Jersey Shore: Have your guests bust out the fake abs, spray tan, poofs and blowouts and party like the lovable knuckleheads from this MTV reality show. The good news is the whole world won’t be watching when you party it up Jersey-style.

Avatar: With some blue body paint and a mask and fake weapon of choice, you can bring the characters in the blockbuster 3-D hit to life. Make it a family affair, as year-round retailers like Costome Super Center carry both adult and boys and girls dress up costumes depicting “Avatar” characters.

Back to the 50s: With the popularity of the series “Mad Men,” going retro has never been more popular. Dress up like the characters or throw a sock hop, complete with poodle skirts and greaser hairdos.

Rock out: Have some fun with fame and invite guests to dress up as their favorite entertainers. Get some gold teeth and dreadlocks to become Lil Wayne or deck yourself out in Candyland-inspired garb from Katy Perry’s hit video for “California Gurls” – costume stores this year are offering a variety of salacious takes on this one.

Vampires: With the popularity of the “Twilight” movies and HBO series “True Blood,” you can’t go wrong dressing as a vampire this year. Costumes vary from the scary to sexy to kid-friendly costumes.

Zombies: Riding the resurgence in popularity of zombie movies and spoofs like “Zombieland,” there have never been more creative and clever zombie costumes to choose from.