Gosh, if I don’t know how to tell you to go about this…no one can. As the owner of Odyssey Theatrical Costume Shoppe, a brick and mortar store in the busy Dallas/Fort Worth area and the owner of OdysseyCostumes.com and DFWcostume.com internet sites, I know how to get my hands on practically anything I need or tell a customer how to go about this.
To simplify the process figure out:
1. Do I want to rent or buy…renting is great because you get to choose from a variety of different costumes each time and do not have to store anything else. (green friendly) and usually the costume is more deluxe. The benefit of buying is that you do not have a return date and can utilize the costume over and over again if it is a quality costume.
2. Do I have time or talent to make the costume? (Or put a vintage style one together) Am I talented enough to pull this off? There you go…not too many people sew anymore but hot glue is handy…if time is of the essence; head to Odyssey or your local store today. Do not forget friends either…they may have a few pieces from another event, parents might have saved some fun stuff from that era or an event they went to.
3. What are my options to buy one?…Finding a local shoppe has lots of benefits. You can see the costume quality, try it on and do business with someone in your area…Don’t know if there is such a Shoppe? Then the internet will most likely tell you. (or the yellow pages which are fast becoming obsolete) Beside buying from the internet you can do research on your character or time period…maybe even pictures of other folks who have had to dress up as your character. (60′s, 70′s, 80′s, Sally Ride, Jessie James, Ricky Bobby, Marilyn Monroe….well, you get the picture) EBAY has all kinds of goodies in the apparel realm.
4. Sizing – Of course if you are any odd size at all…you might want to try a local store to get a great fit, or get a pattern and have a local seamstress make the costume. This can be pricey and time consuming and not suggested unless you will get a lot of use out of the costume.
However, if you have no local shoppe or don’t know if you have a local Shop then the internet still might be the ticket. You can search for a shoppe in your area very easily. No luck???? then back to internet shopping… When looking for a costume site online you should find one that can tell you immediately or by a simple email if the costume you want is actually in stock (now)…so many of the customers (especially around Halloween) will walk into my store unhappy with their online transactions because the vendor took their credit card transaction then informed them that they would receive said product in several weeks…around Christmas which is really no help when the party is at Halloween.
One of the greatest forms of communication is email and if you inquire via email, get a prompt reply in the affirmative then Cha-ching you score a great costume for a great price.
One more warning about costumes…the cheaper they are, the more likely that the fit will not be exact. Inexpensive costumes tend to run small. The more deluxe or quality ones usually fit true…If in doubt, ask the vendor for measurements or better yet…send yours so they can check…win-win!
We costumers want to help you but you can do your homework too…Help us help you by having your size, a vague idea of what you want…(not an 80′s costume but an adult guy rocker costume from the 80′s) then we can start spouting off names of costumes we know we have in that size and realm.
Sincerely, I cannot tell you the times I have received calls from Peeps saying, “Can you tell me the costumes you have”….Whoaaaaaaaaa, that would be a one week phone call…and I get that question about 5-10 times a week…so have a good list of questions ready…and information to help us, help you.
A good list of question and info to have ready are:
Do you have costume for male/female, adult/child, how much, hours of store and rental policy….
Just remember most costume Shoppe’s that rent have a “no return” policy due to the nature of the business, so try it on and be certain you are happy with your fun outfit. Then go out and have too much fun knowing you look fabulous darling!
Feel free to email me nacheska@odysseytheatrical.com with questions regarding renting or buying a costume. I will lend expertise if I can….Remember
Life is short…Have lots of fun! 
