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In places known as "Not San Francisco," people can tack ears and a tail onto any ol' thing and call it a costume. In San Francisco, Halloween is the Super Bowl of costume parties, capping off a season packed with masquerade balls, foot races, parades, and festivals. Here, we dig through our costume trunks of wigs and hats and props, only to declare, "I have nothing to wear."

The Bay Area's firm commitment to costumes means that procrastination could lead to an epic Halloween fail. To save you from that type of eternal shame, we've rounded up the best costume shopping options in the city.