Dalston Costume Accessories Shop, £6.99 Wigs: Party Party

Party Party is the big party and costume accessory shop on Ridley Road in Dalston, at 9-13 Ridley Road, London E8 2NP, in the middle of one of East London's busiest street markets. The business sells online too, but it describes its Dalston branch as its high street retail store, and that is where you can pick through wigs, masks, face paints and Halloween decorations in person. Prices are low, the range is wide, and it is open from 9am six days a week, which makes it a practical first stop for a Hackney costume.

Location is half the story here. Ridley Road Market runs from Dalston Kingsland station eastwards, with stalls selling fabric, fish, vegetables and Caribbean and West African groceries, and Party Party sits right on the strip. You can do a weekly food shop and pick up a mask on the same walk. The shop trades as Party Party but the company behind it is CP Euro Limited.

The same building also houses a cake decorating side of the business, which calls itself the Best Cake Decorating Outlet In The Universe and runs cake decorating courses. If you are throwing a Halloween party rather than just going to one, that means you can sort icing, cake toppers and a costume in a single visit. It is an unusual combination for a costume shop, and a handy one for anyone hosting a children's party.

The wig wall is the obvious place to start. A Mohican wig in pink and black costs £6.99, which is a quick punk look for a gig or a themed birthday night. For children, the Rumi wig in child size is £19.99, a good choice if your kids want to go as a character from a current film rather than a generic witch. Both are cheap enough that the wig is not a big decision.

Masks are just as affordable. The latex alien mask is £9.99 and covers the whole head, so it works for a sci-fi party where you want to stay anonymous. The foam vampire monster mask costs £7.99 and is lighter to wear for a long evening. Foam masks breathe better than latex, which is worth remembering if you will be dancing in a crowded room or walking between parties.

Before you buy a wig, think about how you will keep it on. Cheap wigs sit better over a wig cap or with your own hair pinned flat, and a few hair grips through the lining stop them sliding when you dance. Brush synthetic fibre gently with your fingers rather than a hairbrush, and keep the wig in its bag until the night so the style does not flatten. At these prices it is also worth buying a spare in a second colour if you cannot decide.

For a quick Halloween face, the vampire face paint kit costs £7.99 and includes vampire teeth, fake blood, a sponge and an applicator. That is everything for a classic Dracula look in one packet, and it is a sensible buy for a group of friends who want to match. Buy one kit per two people and you will have enough paint for a full night with touch-ups.

The Halloween accessories section also covers the house. A 60g pack of cobweb with spiders in assorted colours costs £2.49, enough to stretch across a doorway or a bookshelf. Pick up a few packs if you are decorating a whole flat, and pair them with the cheap masks hung on the wall for an instant haunted hallway.

Fake blood needs a little planning. Do a small patch test on your arm the day before, keep it away from pale fabric and car seats, and wash it off with warm soapy water rather than scrubbing. Plastic vampire teeth can be uncomfortable for long stretches, so put them in just before photos and keep the case in your pocket between drinks.

The shop's own opening hours are Monday to Thursday 9am to 5:30pm and Friday and Saturday 9am to 6:30pm. Its Google listing shows it closed on Sunday, so plan a Halloween weekend shop for Saturday at the latest. If you can, go on a weekday morning soon after opening, when the market is getting going and the aisles are at their emptiest.

Late October Saturdays are the busiest time for any costume shop in London, and Ridley Road is crowded on Saturdays anyway. Arrive early, make a list of the items you need, and pay for the bulky decorations last so you are not carrying them around the shop. If you are buying online, the business says it offers same-day collection in London, which is useful if you want to reserve an item before you travel.

After shopping, stay in the market for a snack from one of the food stalls, then walk to the Dalston Eastern Curve Garden, a community garden built on an old railway line just off Dalston Lane. It is a calm green space with seating and a cafe, and a good contrast to the noise of the market.

Kingsland High Street, which crosses the end of Ridley Road, has plenty of cafes, bars and Turkish restaurants, so it is easy to turn a costume errand into an evening out. The Rio Cinema, an independent picture house on the same high street, is an easy add-on if you want a film after shopping.

Dalston Junction and Dalston Kingsland are close to each other at the junction of Kingsland High Street and Dalston Lane, so you can arrive at one and leave from the other. Dalston Kingsland is on the Overground line to Highbury and Islington and Stratford, while Dalston Junction has trains south to Shoreditch High Street, so you can carry your bags straight on to a party elsewhere in the city.

Party Party is at 9-13 Ridley Road, Dalston, London E8 2NP. The closest stations are Dalston Kingsland and Dalston Junction on the London Overground. Prices quoted come from the shop's website: the £6.99 Mohican wig, the £19.99 child Rumi wig, the £9.99 latex alien mask, the £7.99 foam vampire mask, the £7.99 vampire face paint kit and the £2.49 cobweb pack. Ask Karpo in the Karpo APP for more Dalston food and drink ideas.