Costumes! Theatrical

Costumes! Halloween and Masquerade

Costumes! Santa’s, Valentines Day, Easter Bunnies

Our company started in 1860. That’s not a typo….1860!  That was before Abe Lincoln was President of the United States. That’s a lot of years of experience!

We have serviced the theatrical industry, national chains, the general public, and now, YOU! If there is a problem of what to wear for your Halloween party or where to find a sexy costume, or a plus size costume; or needing to buy or replace that worn out Santa suit for Christmas; we hope to to help you resolve your costuming questions.

To Contact us:

costumes3@gmail.com   / russkampmann@gmail.com

(not live links, will require a cut and paste)

For your local National Costumers Association store, click here!

Costumers.org

Technorati Tags: costumes, disguises, Halloween costumes, makeup, masks, masquerade, theatrical

It’s Never Too Early To Plan For Halloween 2012

Βу Scott С Ѕtоrvіk

Ιmаgіnе a tуpіcаl Ηаllоwееn party, еvеrуоnе іѕ dressed up аnd having а grеаt time. Ηоw mаnу costumes cаn уоu remember frоm lаѕt year’s pаrtіеѕ? Lіkеlу a hаndful, уоur own аnd thоѕе of уоur frіеndѕ, and оf cоurѕе the rеаllу cооl Halloween cоѕtumеѕ thаt stand оut іn your mеmоrу.

Ѕоmе cоѕtumеѕ really ѕtіck оut and аrе mеmоrаblе, whereas оthеrѕ wіll just fаdе іntо the blur.

Ιf уоu’rе looking fоr ѕоmе memorable аnd vеrу cool Ηаllоwееn cоѕtumеѕ, here аrе ѕоmе tips tо gеt you ѕtаrtеd, аnd possibly gіvе уоu some іnѕpіrаtіоn, tоо! Of cоurѕе, thеѕе are juѕt tіpѕ and gеnеrаl guіdеlіnеѕ, the rеаl ѕеcrеt is tо juѕt have fun – there аrеn’t аnу rules!

1. Βе rеlеvаnt

Unlеѕѕ you hаvе thе BEST pumpkіn cоѕtumе, chances аrе іt wont rеаllу lеаvе much оf аn impression. Τо bе relevant wіth уоur costume, thіnk оf the mаjоr еvеntѕ that hаppеnеd оvеr the pаѕt уеаr and mаjоr nеwѕ stories. Сhеck оut the аrchіvеѕ frоm major nеwѕ ѕіtеѕ over thе pаѕt year, thіѕ іѕ a grеаt wау to gеt іnѕpіrаtіоn for cооl Ηаllоwееn costumes. Αlѕо, pеrhаpѕ there wаѕ а film оr ΤV show оvеr thе past уеаr thаt you rеаllу еnjоуеd. Being thе mаіn character cаn, аt times, bе а bit plауеd оut so cоnѕіdеr gоіng as а rеcоgnіzаblе secondary chаrаctеr. Νоt everyone wіll “gеt it”, but thоѕе who dо – they’ll LΟVΕ іt.

2. Be еdgу

Οf cоurѕе, this wіll dеpеnd a lоt оn your pеrѕоnаlіtу аnd the crоwd уоu’ll be wеаrіng thе costume аmоngѕt. Υоu don’t wаnt tо offend аnуоnе, but at thе ѕаmе time – іt’ѕ Halloween аnd іt’ѕ okay tо hаvе fun! Τіp #1 was аbоut bеіng relevant, аnd уоu can іncоrpоrаtе еdgіnеѕѕ into thаt аѕ well bу chооѕіng to drеѕѕ up as ѕоmеоnе whо was, pеrhаpѕ, а controversial fіgurе оvеr the lаѕt уеаr for оnе rеаѕоn or аnоthеr. Ρеrhаpѕ there wаѕ а scandal іn thе news (Lеt’ѕ fаcе it, thеrе’ѕ аlwауѕ a ѕcаndаl іn the nеwѕ), оr a mаjоr еvеnt. For еxаmplе, іn the pаѕt уеаr the nеwѕ оf the Сhіlеаn mіnеrѕ had dоmіnаtеd thе headlines, ѕо а popular cоѕtumе wаѕ to drеѕѕ up as а mіnеr for Ηаllоwееn. Ιt doesn’t hаvе tо be а ѕpеcіfіc character, іt cаn be ѕоmеthіng gеnеrаl as wеll.

3. Βе yourself

The fіnаl tіp we’ve gоt fоr now іѕ tо just bе уоurѕеlf. That ѕоundѕ lіkе terrible аdvіcе fоr a Ηаllоwееn cоѕtumе, right? Whаt’ѕ mеаnt by “bе уоurѕеlf” is thаt уоu should pіck а costume thаt уоu’rе comfortable wіth, thаt suits уоur pеrѕоnаlіtу. Halloween іѕ аll about hаvіng fun, and іf уоu aren’t cоmfоrtаblе іn your cоѕtumе thаt’ѕ going tо bе a lоt mоrе difficult tо dо.

Ιn conclusion, dоn’t bе afraid tо bе timely аnd аlѕо shocking, but оnlу if іt fіtѕ your pеrѕоnаlіtу еnоugh that уоu’ll bе comfortable wіth іt. That, оr wеаr a mаѕk аnd go crаzу!! Сооl Halloween cоѕtumеѕ аrе often thе оnеѕ that аrе unіquе, relevant, аnd mеmоrаblе. Anytime уоu cаn tell pеоplе аrе having а lоt of fun іn their cоѕtumеѕ, thаt’ѕ what turnѕ rеgulаr costumes іntо cооl Halloween cоѕtumеѕ.

For more Costume suggestions, visit

http://www.costumescostumescostumes.net

Technorati Tags: costumes, disguises, Halloween accessories, Halloween costumes, masks, party wigs, stage makeup

Aw!  Halloween is over, but here are a few ideas you can use in perparation for next year.

Have a laugh, and come visit us in a week or so as we prepare for Christmas, and all the Christmas costumes you might need for the season.

Carry a quarter and a hammer. What are you? A Quarter-pounder.

Dress in pink and carry a feather. What are you? Tickled pink.

Dress all in black, tie a shot glass around your neck. What are you? A shot in the dark!

Wear all black and put a postage stamp (enlarged if possible) on your chest. What are you? Black mail.

Wrap yourself in wrapping paper with a tag: “From: God, To: Women”. What are you? God’s gift to women.

Attach sugar-cubes (or candy) all over yourself. What are you? Sugar-Daddy or Sugar-Momma.

Tie an old CD around your neck and carry a lighter. What are you? A CD burner? (DVDs work well too)

Draw the letter C seven times on face and arms (use safe ink!). What is it? The Seven Seas.

Get a small weight (e.g. dumbbell) and stare at it intently. What are you? Watching your weight.

Quarter (or preferably enlarged photocopy of one) taped to your back. What are you? A quarter-back.

Put a pot on your head. What are you? A pot head.

Wrap yourself in some (or all) aluminum foil. What are you? A baked potato!

Wear all white. Attach (or paint) yellow circle to your stomach. You are an egg. Add horns and a pitchfork and you are a deviled egg.

Paint a shoebox black and attach it to your back. What are you? A refrigerator magnet.

Bridal gown and sneakers? What are you? Runaway bride.

Paint one finger gold. What are you? Gold finger.

Put crosses all over the clothes you are wearing. What are you? A cross dresser.

Catcher’s glove, loaf of rye bread. Attach the bread to you, wear the glove. Catcher in the rye.

Wear a t-shirt with a large ? (question mark) on it. Tape popcorn to it. What are you? A pop quiz.

Get some cat and dog stuffed animals. Use double sided tape or string to attach to an umbrella. Its raining cats and dogs.

Dress in a nice suit. Attach legal documents to yourself. What are you? A law suit.

An empty box of cereal. A toy knife. Instant “Cereal Killer.”

Find a toy airplane. When asked what you are, hold it in your hand. An aircraft carrier.

Put a sign that says “Go Ceilings!!!!” on your shirt. What are you? A Ceiling Fan! Cheer to help the effect.

We’ll be back in a week or so!

Technorati Tags: costumes, Halloween costume ideas, Halloween costumes, santa claus

Plan for Next Year!!  

Were you left out this year? Were you scrambling at the last minute for a Halloween costume?  Are you an early bird?

Whatever you are, there may be bargains aplenty at your local costume shop.  Forget the seasonal shops!!! They’ve already locked their doors until next year and are packing their inventory to store until next season when they’ll try to sell the same things to you again. 

This is an ad from Buycostumes.  See Ad in right column for more information.

Year round costume shops are less likely to have the storage capacity than their seasonal brethren (rivals or however they perceive the seasonal shop), and might be willing to negotiate a better price if in fact they haven’t already lowered their prices. 

You see…Christmas is coming and so the all-year-round costume shops will need that additional space for Santa Claus costumes, Santa Belles, Elves, Snowmen, and not to mention Santa wigs and beards, belts, padding, boottops and all the other seasonal stuff.

Santa and one of his elves from Buycostumes.  See Ad in right column for more information.

Technorati Tags: costumes, Halloween costume ideas, Halloween costumes, santa claus

Tomorrow is the last day of the Halloween costume season.  There may be a scattering of parties this coming weekend, but not as many as yesterday or tomorrow.  Most uses tomorrow will be by ‘trick-n-treaters’ and those so fortunate as to be able to dress in a Halloween costume at work.  

Cstume above available at Buycostumes.net.  See ad in right coulmn.

Tomorrow evening, no matter what time your local costume shop closes, there will be somebody pounding at the door five or 10 minutes after closing time, begging and pleading to get in to make a quick last minute purchase. 

Will that be you?

At this stage, you might want to just take an old sheet, cut a couple of eye holes in it and go as your favorite ghost. 

You might want to wrap that sheet around you, and go as a Roman senator or a Roman goddess.

It’s creative time.  As in earlier posts, put something, anything together and give it a name.  Remembering an earlier post…”if you can name it, you have a costume”.

HORRIBLE HALLOWEEN !!!!!!

NOTE:       In a day or two we will provide you a few tips  as to prepare for NEXT Halloween.  Also, we will start our Christmas and Santa Claus costume posts about mid-November….so please come back soon!  

Technorati Tags: costumes, Halloween costumes, Halloween Disguises, Halloween makeup, Halloween Masks

Thrift stores. The Cheap…um…er…Creative Way Out. 

I can’t afford to buy or rent a Halloween costume this year.  I’ve looked in my closet, garage and basement and don’t have anything that I can convert to a Halloween costume.  What do I do?  What do I do?

When I was active in the costume industry, it was routine to haunt the second hand stores or thrift stores for something useable, convertible and nicely priced. 

The local ‘Salvation Army’ or ‘Goodwill Industries’ might have a store near you that might help you solve your problem.  There, too, are a scattering up upscale thrift stores near the more affluent areas.   Since you never know what will be in any one store at a given time, visiting several might be a good idea.

Costumes shown above were not located at a thrift shop, but are available at Buycostumes.com.  Ad appears in column to the right of this article.

A double breasted suit can be easily converted to a ‘gangster suit’ with a black shirt and white tie.  Add a plastic machine gun and a fedora and you are ‘Al Capone’. A business suit and a beret or tam and you can be “Al’s’ gun moll.

A prom dress?  Bwala!  A princess!    And you never know what you might be able to build out of a few accessories.

Costumes shown above were not located at a thrift shop, but are available at buycostumes.com.  Ad appears in column to the right of this article.

 Thrift stores are a goldmine of Halloween costumes ideas. 

Technorati Tags: costumes, Halloween costumes, Halloween Disguises, Halloween makeup, Halloween Masks

It’s still a few days away, and most of the final touches have been made to your Halloween costume.  Maybe a tuck here or a minor adjustment there, but you are ready to go. 

OHMYGOSH!  (or use another expletive if you prefer)   You forgot about what shoes or footwear to use with your Halloween costume. 

Costume shoes shown above are available at Buycostumes.com.  Ad appears in column to the right of this article.

Not a big problem if you are wearing a long gown or a witches robe, although you should try to match the colors up as best you can just in case someone gets a glance at your feet.  Black always works.  Maybe using a can of spray paint over some old, throwaway shoes might work as well.

 But a prima ballerina in sneakers leaves a lot to be desired.  In this case, not wearing any footwear at all might be the best option.

 Fake boots can be made easily out of a vinyl material and creating a boot cover (no soles or heels, just sides).  Perhaps attaching buckles to a pair of shoes might create a Louis XIV type of shoe wear.

Costume shoes shown above are available at Buycostumes.com.  Ad appears in column to the right of this article.

No old throwaway shoes?  Perhaps a return visit to the thrift store?

Technorati Tags: costumes, Halloween costumes, Halloween Disguises, Halloween makeup, Halloween Masks

Makeup.  A little dab will do ya! 

Paint on a mustache with a black greasepaint stick, add a pair of horn rimmed glasses and a cigar….and there you have it.  Groucho!   A short blond curly wig and a bicycle horn (a white or tan duster if you can find it).  And there you have Harpo.

A little makeup here, or a special hat there, or a cane or a pair of red suspenders.  It takes a little imagination, and not much money to come up with that perfect Halloween costume.

Groucho disguise and cigar shown above are available at Buycostumes.com.  Ad appears  in column to the right of this article.

A trip to your local costume store?  Probably a great idea to get great ideas for makeup and accessories.  While you’re there, look at the makeup display case and see what you can see.

Nose putty?  You can build a new nose, or re-shape your nose, or just add a wart or two.  With an adhesive like spirit gum, you can even rebuild your chin.   Your new nose and chin will need some makeup to help blend it in with the rest of your face.  Green greasepaint or a water soluble cream makeup or pancake helps make a great witch or Frankenstein.

Makeup as shown above is available at Buycostumes.com.  Ad appears  in column to the right of this article.

If you want to be a clown or a mime, then a tube of clown white will do the trick.  Put it only very lightly though, and suddenly you become very pale in appearance….almost Ghostly or Vampirish.  Clown White can be cream base or water base, each having its own advantages.  Some shops might also carry it in pancake.

Crepe hair is a well known product available at the full service costume shops; and can be used to make mustaches and beards, or even hairy faces like a werewolf.  If you are into monsters and vampires, then makeup is the best way to go about it.

For great makeup ideas, visit your local library and borrow a copy of Richard Corson’s “Stage Makeup”, one of the best makeup books ever published on makeup.   It is also for sale at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  As you scan through this book, you will find numerous ideas that you may want to implement.  Then off to your local costumer.

‘Stage Makeup’ as shown above is available through Barnes & Noble or Amazon, and many other booksellers. Earlier editions are also available.

Technorati Tags: costumes, Halloween costumes, Halloween Disguises, Halloween makeup, Halloween Masks

Not always the most comfortable of disguises, but masks can create an interest and mystique.  And the range of masks is wide-spread from a simple black eye mask (ala the ‘Lone Ranger’ to very large heavily plumed, and/or feathered masks. 

Mask shown above is available at Buycostumes.com.  Buycostumes.com ad appears  in column to the right of this article.

Sequined masks always have an appeal not only because they are pretty, but just a glint in the right lighting might catch the eye of the beholder (you know, the guy you are interested in).

At any costume shop, you will see a wall filled with every monster mask known to mankind.  Some are face masks (which cover the entire front, but not the back or sides), some cover ¾ of the head, and some are overhead masks.  The mask of the incumbent President, and some of his predecessors will be featured on these shelves or walls.  Perhaps aother politicl figure. An assortment of cartoonish characters may also grace the ‘wall of infamy’.  Most of these masks are made of vinyl or rubber.

Masks shown above are available at Buycostumes.com.  Buycostumes.com ad appears  in column to the right of this article.

The caveats to wearing a vinyl/rubber mask are many; but the main two are the inability to drink (other than through a straw) comfortably; and limited vision because the openings for visibility might be an inch or so from the eye.  And lastly, because of the materials used, and depending upon how much of the head is covered, these masks can be very, very warm.  But then again, some people like it hot.

There are clear plastic frontal masks of a young man or woman, or an elderly man or woman.  Clear plastic is opaque so they allow the skin tones to show through, but distort the features of the wearer. 

There are ‘hoodwink’ masks that have no eye openings at all.  Sorry, I forgot.  These are used by those people who need total darkness when they sleep.  Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!

Technorati Tags: costumes, Halloween costumes, Halloween Disguises, Halloween makeup, Halloween Masks

Open the door to a new world….Halloween costumes! 

As you enter the door to your local costume shop, it might seem like you are entering the ‘Twilight Zone’, but much less scary.  You will be exposed to another world, maybe another dimension. 

There are costumes, props, hats, wigs, makeup, clown noses, ugly teeth, elf ears, and undoubtedly chopped off hands, eyeballs, and yes….even blood!!!!! 

Clown makeup and accessories available at Buycostumes.com.  Click on ad in right column.

Costumes of shimmery and glittery sequins, lames and satins.    

Funny costumes, historical costumes, sexy costumes coming in all sizes, colors and shapes. 

 Clown cosstume is available at Buycostumes.com. Click on ad in right column.

Wigs galore, many in styles of famous personalities, like Elvis,  Cher, Madonna, Dolly Parton, Vampira and Rod Stewart are also available.  Long hair, short hair, curls, in blacks, browns, blondes and redheads.  Bald wigs for those Michael Jordan wannabe’s. 

 Wigs are available at Buycostumes.com. Click on ad in right column.

And where do you find a costume shop?  Try your Yellow Pages assuming you have a landline phone.  Or Google ‘Costumes’ and you might be provided a list of your local stores.  Or click this link to take you to the National Costumers Association site where you can do a search for members of their organization. Perhaps there will be one in your area.  Good Halloween Hunting.

To view a four part video series on a real life visit to a costume shop, see the previous four posts.

Technorati Tags: costumes, Halloween costumes, Halloween Disguises, Halloween makeup, Halloween Masks