Halloween is almost here! Whatever your costume, make it compatible with dancing and dashing from hot spot to hot spot. This Friday, reserve a cab or designated driver, and try out these selected parties:

• A Hipster Halloween with The Kooks. Yeah, it's hard to ride your bike in tight jeans, but you're a sport, right? Meanwhile, The Kooks are not only shaggy-haired rockers — they're British! Pipeline Cafe, 805 Pohukaina St.; doors open at 7 p.m., 18 and over; $25, www.bampproject.com.

• Halloween at the Hyatt, two rooms of hip-hop and house featuring DJ G-Spot, Quiksilva and more. Ciao Mein Restaurant, 2424 Kalakaua Ave.; doors open at 9 p.m.; 21-plus; $10; www.double-o-spot.com.

• Monster Mosh at Art After Dark, with punk-rockers 86 List and Unity Crayons' Punk Rock Bizarre. Honolulu Academy of Arts, 900 S. Beretania St.; 6 to 9 p.m.; all ages; $10 for nonmembers; www.artafterdark.org.

• DJ Mad Professor, a reggae and electronica dub master, at NextDoor, 43 N. Hotel St.; doors at 6 p.m., headliner on later; 21-plus; $25. This one's part of a street party stretching from Chinatown to the waterfront, with free music starting at 7 p.m., Maceo Parker at Aloha Tower and indie rockers The Helio Sequence at The Loft; www.hallowbaloo.com.

— Lacy Matsumoto

D'VINE HAS THAT WINE FOR YOU

Got a full social calendar? You never want to show up at the party empty-handed, and wine is always a good option. That makes it prime time for D'Vine, a new wine boutique in Hawai'i Kai that offers an attractive selection of wine and accessories, from fine vintages to elite martini mixes.

"We've wanted to own our own business since we met and became best friends when we were 15 years old. One day, after traveling Europe and finishing our business degrees at University of Hawai'i, it just clicked — we should open a wine store," say owners Mavi Escudero and Susan Rojas.

Have a hard time picking the perfect wine? Escudero's favorite is a Ben Marco Malbec ($16.99) from Mendoza, Argentina, which she says is "perfect with grilling steaks." Rojas prefers a Monga Zin ($20), "a food wine." D'Vine, 7192 Kalaniana'ole Highway; 394-5801, www.dvinehawaii.com.

— L.M.

WHAT'S ON YOUR IPOD?

DJ GSpot, KTUH Fridays, 6-9 p.m.

1. "Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd

2. "Seduction of Claude DeBussy," Art of Noise

3. "Purple Rain," Prince

4. "Physical Graffiti," Led Zeppelin

5."Music for the Masses," Depeche Mode

BIKING BUDDIES

The new thing on the streets is the fixed-gear bike community, which has exploded in Honolulu over the past two years. Web site www.alohafixed.com is in on the action.

"I got into riding while I was living in San Francisco. In S.F., there's a ton of people riding fixed, and with it a lot of crews and Web sites emerged," says Aloha Fixed operator and fixed-gear rider Ryan Lau. The Web site's blog and community chat boards link Honolulu locals with wide-ranging info, from sources for parts to organized bike rides.

"The goal as of now is to ride bikes and have fun," Lau says. "When I moved back to Hawai'i in August of 2007, I wanted to bring all the people on fixed together. ... I made the Web site, and from there it just snowballed."

— L.M.

SALES & BARGAINS

• Mesh by Shari Saiki, a “contemporary Pacifica”-style home and accessories shop with stylish yet not too overdone looks, has lots of cute, giftworthy decor items, and a sweet deal: 25 percent off the entire store! Some items are even marked 35 percent to 50 percent off, including home accessories and made-to-order furniture sets. 650 Iwilei Road, Suite 110; 536-6374, www.sharisaiki.com.
• Now’s the time to do what you can — nails, facials, brows — for yourself. Reserve your limited upkeep budget for things you really shouldn't do yourself, like cutting your hair. At $55, a perfectly coifed do fit to you from Joy at J Salon is an excellent deal. She’ll cater your look to fit your hair type and most importantly, face shape. 1240 Ala Moana Blvd., IBM building, ground floor; 550-4441.
• One of fall’s top looks: a cute long sweater paired with a skinny belt.
J. Crew on the Island has that combo, on sale! Kick up the color in your cubicle with a mustard-yellow cardi and skinny belt in deep eggplant. You've got a rainbow of choices, so why limit yourself to black and white? Ala Moana Center; 949-5252, www.J.Crew.com.
• Head over to Iridescent, a cute clothing and accessories boutique with bags reminiscent of current designer bag collections (think Balenciaga) at only 50 bucks. Another score here are the trendy tops and dresses by brands including Lush and Collective Clothing. Not to be missed: an adorable violet chiffon number, seen on display, with a double-layer pleated hem for less than $50. 725 Kapi'olani Blvd.; 593-8288.
— Pualana Lemelle