HIRING COSTUMES AND COSTS

Appointment fittings

Most customers make an appointment to come and choose a costume. This is because it usually takes 30 minutes per person, and up to an hour per couple, to allow enough time to try things on and sort out accessories.

When are we open for appointments?

Appointments can be made for any time on Saturdays, between 9.30am and 12.30pm (lunchtime), then 2pm to 5pm.

Mondays to Fridays, we make appointments from 2-8pm, and are open for drop-in callers, between 9.30am and 12.30pm (lunchtime).

We are not open on Sundays.

May I come without an appointment?

You may drop in any morning and on Saturday afternoons, but sometimes we will not be able to see you immediately, if we are dealing with another customer.

Describe a typical appointment

You have an event coming up for which you need a costume. If you have telephoned first, we may have discussed already the options. Your choice of costume will depend how specific your requirement is, and your physical size. (Vintage costumes are small, so the bigger you are, there may be less choice).

If you have not telephoned first, and have a highly specific requirement, we may have to have an “Antoinette Moment”. This is where we will go into a trance, in order to visualise what we have that could possibly suit your needs!
It can help to bring some illustrations or photographs of how you hope to look, so we can try and match it.

Actually, the majority of our customers are not quite sure what they want to look like. They come in with a general theme, and we can pick all sorts of suggestions to suit their needs, within minutes. The time of the appointment is usually spent in trying things on, and deciding whether shoes and a hat are an integral part of the outfit.

How much does it cost?

It is good to have a budget in mind when choosing an outfit for an event. A typical costume will hire out at around £40, and a refundable deposit of £50 is charged on all bookings. If you have less than that to spend, then consider matching a wig or one item with clothes you already possess. A good wig at less than £10 to buy, can really set the theme of a home-made costume.

How long do I keep my costume?

Goods are hired from us for a maximum period of 7 days. You can bring back your items when we are open, or make an appointment for an out-of-hours return. As long as there is no serious soiling or damage, your deposit is refunded at that time. Please note, we do not do shorter hire periods at a lesser price.

Busy times of the year

At Hallowe’en and New Year we are very busy. We book out costumes for longer periods at these times, to help the holiday rush, but will charge a little more.