Halloween is fast approaching, and with it comes costumes, candy and another excuse to throw a party. What could be more fun than men showing off their “guns” and women in scantily-clad outfits portraying public figures with absolutely no sense of self-preservation? How about if women use a little conservation in their costumes?

I’m going to ask that this Halloween, when you choose your costumes, ladies, you choose them wisely. The possible consumption of alcohol mixed with barely-there apparel can set you up for dangerous situations in which alcohol can inhibit your judgments.

First, remember the basic rules of “trick or treating,” like wearing reflective clothing, comfortable shoes for walking and plenty of layers should it turn a bit chilly. That’s right, be prepared to cover your entire body should temperatures drop to freezing as they often do in Wisconsin on Halloween. This does mean you may have to cover your legs and cleavage should you venture outdoors; but trust me, you’ll feel much better if you wake up in the morning with feeling in all your toes and fingers.

When you are walking, walk in groups. You don’t want to be caught on the other side of town alone and wearing heels that you absolutely cannot run in should you be attacked.

When choosing your costume, think. I know you might want to be the naughty cop, the dirty nurse or just the hooker on the street corner because, as “Mean Girls’” star Lindsay Lohan states, “Halloween is the one night a year that a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it.” The question is: why do you want to dress this way? Is it because you can?

When we were younger, we chose our costumes because either they were scary or they were something we admired or wanted to be. Now, what makes us choose the short skirts, low cut tops and hooker boots? It can be a bit scary, yes, but I highly doubt that we desire to graduate with degrees in prostitution or pornography.

Maybe we dress and behave the way we do on Halloween because we want the attention and we don’t know how else to get it than to overexpose ourselves to the male population in hopes that they will somehow find us worthy of their consideration.

This Halloween I challenge you to step it up a notch, ladies. If you are going to dress up, do it for yourself. Instead of the Spice Girls, try Marilyn Monroe. Instead of the naughty nurse, try Meredith Grey-style scrubs. My costume: Queen Gorgo from 300. Not because she wears a toga, but because she’s a badass. If you want to be a cop or a nurse, go ahead, but do it with some dignity and class.