Chris asks…
Does anyone know where I can get accesories for a costume as Christine Daae from the Phantom of the Opera?
I would like anything such as gowns, earrings, necklackes, hair accesories, or anything that would go with this costume. This would really help on my search to be Christine Daae for Halloween. Any suggestions?
admin answers:
You have a few choices depending on where you live.
Most mid-size and larger cities have some sort of costume rental business. Any business of this sort should easily be able to put together something you’ll be happy with.
If you don’t live near a rental house or if you prefer to own the costume when you’re done, then I have a few shopping suggestions.
If you have some money to spend you might try starting with local antique malls. They will sometimes carry antique clothing, though that may not be useful. Sizes in very old clothing tend to be very different from our sizes today. Women were corseted, so the waist in many dresses seems very small and the bust rather pronounced. If you can find a dress with a big enough waist you can always pad the bust out to fit. Condition is another thing to pay attention to; many older garments are simply too frail to be worn at all. Antique malls will be a very good source for ornate costume jewelry and hair accessories. You might even be able to find some good shoes. (Look especially for shoes or low boots with a spool heel for a good Victorian feel.)
There are also vendors online that sell custom Victorian garments. These are very expensive, and having never used any of these vendors I can’t personally reccommend any of them.
If you like to sew, there are many options for patterns. This is another good thing to search for online if you want to find something pretty authentic. Otherwise, you can go to your local Jo-Ann or Hancock and look at the costuming patterns. Most of the major brands (Butterick, Simplicity, etc.) carry an array of costume patterns that cover some of the more popular periods. These patterns are not difficult to use, even for a beginning stitcher.
Another cheap option for gowns is to look for something from your local thrift stores that can be modified. Many of the wedding and prom dresses from the 80’s borrowed heavily from Victorian styles. If you can find something you like as a base it is pretty easy to add trims to an existing garment. If you really don’t sew at all you can add your trims by very carefully using a glue called either Magna-tac or Fabri-tac.
Theatre House (I’m afraid I don’t know their web address) is a cheap mail order business that supplies a variety of costume products including some garments, jewelry, hats, and wigs.
Mandy asks…
Where can i find a Mimi from rent the musical out tonight costume?
I want to be mimi from rent for halloween. I want her broadway version of the out tongiht costume but i am having trouble coming across the out fit.. where can i go or order one please and thanks :)
admin answers:
Well that’s scandalous. Ummm just look for parts at local stores you go to, thrift stores and weird lingerie shops would have similar outfits. You can order a more expensive, and maybe tackier costume online probably off of a costume rental website for theater productions. I don’t know of a very good one though. You would have better luck just trying to find places that sell a costume that looks similar.
Richard asks…
Where can I find Masquerade or masquerade-esque dresses for sale or rental around Tampa?
It doesn’t have to be smack-dab in the middle of Tampa, just somewhere in a neighboring city, or something.
I’m going to a masquerade at Metrocon and all the genuine ones are, expectedly, incredibly expensive.
Ordering offline is fine, too. I just want the price ranger to be around $30-$50 for the basic costume at least.
admin answers:
Look up costume shops in the yellow pages. There are several who cater to Gasparilla and Halloween. They are not cheap, You can also check out ebay and google costumes to find online stores. Party City may have some, but call them before you go. You can also go to Dillard’s clearance center in University Mall (open 11-7) and look through the dresses and see what inspires you to buy accessories and make a costume. Ross’s is also good for that. A lot of the costume with Anime is makeup and hair. You will need theatrical makeup.
Joseph asks…
Where can I buy authentic Colonial Clothes for Halloween?
Me and a friend agreed to go all Colonial for once when Halloween comes around. We want it to be authentic like the real thing instead of your normal Halloween fabrics. The wigs have to be authentic too not that shiny fabric that would normally come from a Halloween store. Where would this be and how much would this cost for male and female clothes? We don’t like the idea of ordering online though. Would it be easier to make it ourselves and if so,where would one go to get what is needed?
admin answers:
Having it made would be your best bet, but also call area theaters and historical societies and ask them who supplies their costumes. Some costume rental places also have high quality merchandise. If you make it yourselves then you can find patterns in any fabric store.
James asks…
where can you get a sumo wrestling costume like on?
i wanna be a sumo wrestler for halloween. i want the big blow up ones like on the ellen degeneres show . i cant find them anywhere and i don’t know how much they cost. please help.
admin answers:
The price can range anywhere from $25.00 up to about $70.00. Check out your local costume rental shop for some bargains. There are some online shops as well that have decent prices. Find the link below. :)
Good luck! :)
George asks…
Where can i find a cute 1950’s vintage dress in the Chicago land area? For a good price as well?
i need a cute 1950’s vintage pin up dress for homecoming. i recently searched on google but found nothing except a store in the UK but it takes too long to ship. I need this dress by Oct.5 any online stores or boutiques in the chicago land area i can go to that has affordable prices?
also im not looking for a costume, i want a real vintage dress. Im going for a classy look not tacky.
admin answers:
Try the costumes rental shops, they will have Halloween costumes, but many of them also supply theatrical productions and will be more likely to have a variety of styles and sizes on hand. Then you can simply rent it.
Ruth asks…
Having renaissance themed wedding, need costume ideas?
My husband and are renewing our vows at our local renaissance fair and then having a themed reception at a relatives house. On the insert with our invitations we want to include costume ideas from clothing and items found around the house or that would cost less than $20 for those who don’t want to go out and buy a costume. We have a few ideas but are looking for more. So some quick and easy costume ideas are needed. 10 points for the most creative or the most ideas. Thanks.
admin answers:
Im really not sure on this one. I thought id be able to come up with loads of ideas, but i really cant seem to think of anything. Perhaps there is a way you can put printed out pictures of normal clothes being made to look renaissance in an insert? Like, i know if you pair those flowy hippy style skirts with the right top, you can look very renaissance. My friend wore one of those with a nicer corset top to a ren faire and she didnt look out of place at all. If you can find enough pictures online, people should be able to take a look at them and say “oh, i have skirt like that in my closet” or “i could steal the boots from that old halloween costume”
sorry i wasnt more help. I completly understand your concern, i once looked into renting a costom for a ren faire…the rental on those types of costumes seems to be so much more than a normal costume. Maybe thats something your guests could manage though, renting isnt as much as buying, and some of those costumes you can rent are really realistic. So if youve got a costume shop in your area, maybe you could include its phone number?
Good luck, and have fun! I would love to come to a renaissance themed wedding, it sounds like it would be a good time!
Linda asks…
Does any one know where to rent an adult costume.?
I need to rent an adult costume it needs to be a children’s TV character or a super hero. Options are open. It is for a halloween party at a pediatricians office with children ranging from 1 week to 18 years old.
admin answers:
Costume rentals in the phone book or online phone book. Also some theatres to raise money will rent their costumes out for Halloween. Try googling costume rental theater, theatre and the name of your city. See what comes up.
John asks…
Where can I get a Mad Hatter Halloween costume?
Where can I find a good Mad Hatter costume for girls (like with a dress, a big bow tie, and a vest… that type of thing…) And since tomarrow is Halloween i dont have time to buy one online! Does anyone know what store I can buy one at???
admin answers:
It’s hard to say without knowing what city you’re in…Spirit of Halloween is a big national chain store, so there may likely be one in your area. I would say they would definitely have what you’re looking for, but as Halloween is tomorrow, they may be picked through.
Another option is local costume shops – you can google one in your area – because they tend to be less picked over than the big chain stores. (I had an experience with this just today.)
Sometimes places may be sold out of costums, but they may still have costumes for rent (you can google costume rentals in your town). These tend to be more expensive, I think, but if you need it, you need it!
Other options would be places like Target, Kmart, Wallmart, etc. Whatever is in your area. I think maybe Sears even has costumes?
Finally, if you can’t find one of the prepackaged costumes anywhere, you can try and construct your own from what you can find left at a costume shop. A good hat is essential, then you could buy stripped thigh highs/tights, and a some sort of tutu or pettycoat. You can use the tutu/pettycoat to put under some cute little dress you have in your closet at home.
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