About 30 percent of U.S. adults plan to dress up for Halloween, the National Retail Federation says. Many will choose edgy costumes others may find offensive, like this pimp costume from RastaImposta.

This RastaImposta sexy nurse costume is a far cry from the scrubs and other modest gear worn by health-care professionals. But the high heels might land you in the emergency room.

This white trash costume from RastaImposta comes with the hat and tunic. Buyers are on their own with attitude and accessories.

A nearly naked Pharaoh. A flasher. A gold digger wearing nothing but body paint and a bikini. Happy Halloween!

All these costumes have made appearances at Angela Disalvo’s annual Halloween party. While she picks costumes inspired by her natural red hair – like Wilma Flintstone – some of her guests’ getups push the etiquette envelope.

One woman, for example, went as Eve and dressed in a see through bodysuit. “It had apples strategically placed,” says Disalvo, 27, of Chicago.

About 30 percent of U.S. adults plan to dress up for Halloween, reports a survey by the National Retail Federation. And many adults will choose edgy costumes others may find offensive.

Courtland Hickey owns costume shop Chicago Costume and says he saw the offensive trend start in 1997 with pimp costumes. “It was the year of the pimp,” Hickey says. “Everyone wanted to dress up as a pimp with the purple velvet jump suit.”

In the last decade, Hickey says, he’s seen the trend progress. Now his store sells costumes like a Statue of Liberty getup with giant breasts.

“Halloween has become quite possibly the sexiest holiday,” Hickey says.

Sexy costume options include the usual suspects – nurse, school girl and cheerleader. While many women opt for the sexy route, it’s usually the guys who choose crude costumes.

“I’ve seen a lot of guys dress up as gynecologists,” says Laura Ristucci, 20 of River Forest, Ill. “They’ll have scrubs, a stethoscope. They’ll have ‘OB-GYN’ on their shirt. It’s always the really creepy guys who dress up as that.”

Ristucci attends a Catholic university in Milwaukee and says her classmates have an interesting way of approaching the holiday. Sexual costumes are acceptable – Ristucci once saw a guy dressed as a male anatomy while his buddy went as female anatomy. Religious costumes, however, are not funny and most students avoid the Catholic priest/alter boy combo.

“I’ve seen pregnant nuns, but that’s about it,” Ristucci says.

She’s also seen people dress as “white trash” and Hooters waitresses. These costumes are a far cry from the getups her parents’ friends used to wear to her family’s Halloween party in the late 1980s.

“They would come in normal costumes like hobos. Someone came as a cigarette,” Ristucci says.

So how can a person know whether their edgy costume is funny or offensive?

Consider the crowd first, says psychologist Tim Ursiny, author of “The Coward’s Guide to Conflict” (Sourcebooks, $16.95).

An edgy costume, like those anatomy getups, will probably be fine at a party of close friends. Younger crowds are also more accepting, but risque costumes may not be right for work parties, Ursiny says.

Costume shoppers should also question: “Who are the other people coming to the party? What do they have in common? How will 75 percent of them respond to this idea?” Ursiny says. “You may always offend one person, and we can’t let ourselves be ruled by that.”

Don’t go on the defensive if another party person confronts you about your questionable costume. Instead, Ursiny recommends using the “100 plus one” strategy. “Whatever that person says to you, you find something you can agree with,” Ursiny says.

So after the complainer finishes griping, Ursiny says to agree with them. Try saying, “I knew when I put this on, I took a risk. Obviously, you are someone who feels offended, and I’m sorry you feel uncomfortable,” Ursiny says.

The person most likely will be surprised. They were expecting a battle, not a good-natured mea culpa, Ursiny says.

And if your chancy costume seems out of place, take heart in knowing there are worse costumes at a party. Disalvo says she’ll never forget a guest who dressed up as celebrity chef Emeril.

“You know how Emeril always has spices and says ‘Bam!’? Well, Emeril had red glitter and Emeril spiced our apartment,” Disalvo says.

Months later, Disalvo and her roommate were still finding red glitter in their apartment’s cracks and crevices. Thanks to Emeril, the roommates decided to move the party to a bar. This year, Disalvo is planning another pub party and a costume that complements her red hair.

“I hate to ruin the surprise, but I was looking for a Julia Roberts dress from ‘Pretty Woman,'” she says.

Ristucci is also planning a costume that won’t raise eyebrows. She’s considering dressing as Snow White, but says she gets a kick out of seeing the edgy costumes.

“I think it’s the one time of the year where it’s pretty much appropriate,” Ristucci says. “You can get away with it.”