Bonnie and Clyde

• Dust off your fedoras and hit the vintage shop for a basic Bonnie and Clyde costume. Thanks to Hollywood, this infamous couple is immediately recognizable for their tailored silhouettes, ascots and pistols. Throw money bags over your shoulders and there's no other couple you could be. Use movie stills of Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway for inspiration. You get extra points if you arrive at the ball in an old roadster. These gangster costumes call for a rebellious attitude with a taste for mischief.
  
  

Lucy and Ricky

• Lucille Ball's distinctive red curls and Ricky Ricardo's suave suits make this one couple you can imitate with a quick visit to a costume shop for a red wig. Raid your or a friend's closet for a flattering-but-modest below-the-knee checkered dress with an oversize belt, and toss a Cuban cigar in his jacket pocket. Accessorize with a pearl necklace and a thick black tie and strike a pose with a plate of Hershey kisses to pay homage to a classic television scene.
  
  

American Gothic

• You don't need to know that Grant Wood painted the classic American painting titled "American Gothic" to pull off this costume. Pick up a pair of oversize suspenders and a blue open jacket for him and a long-sleeved dark dress with a colonial print apron for her. Substitute a large fork for the pitchfork in the man's hand and pick up non-prescription wire-rimmed glasses from a drug store. Draw a simplistic line drawing of a country house and hold or tape it behind you or simply hold up a large wood picture frame. The key ingredient to this costume is in the steadfast facial expression of American pioneers.
  
  

Sonny and Cher

• A guitar and long black wig are all you really need to pull off 1970s Sonny and Cher. Fake eyelashes for Cher and a full mustache for Sonny will bring this costume to life. The diva should wear her most colorful dress. The fellow may need to drive to the local thrift shop for a bright yellow polyester suit. The laid-back hippie attitude is a good fit for a costume party whether it's a retro throwback or a casual gathering.