SHOP TALK : Halloween Costumes Without Scary Prices : Good ideas and material can be found at thrift shops and in your own closets. But start planning early.
We all have our own Halloween horror stories, and they usually have nothing to do with ghosts or goblins. They generally involve standing in the middle of a room in some stupid gear, usually the old last-ditch bandanna-on-a-stick-and-dirt-on-the-face hobo get-up, surrounded by dozens of perplexed people all asking the same humiliating question: “What are you supposed to be?”
Getting a cool costume together can take time, and if you aren’t careful, big bucks. That’s why it’s best to get a bit of a jump on the holiday. And it helps if you have some idea how you want to look and how much you want to spend on a costume.
Check your closet, a thrift shop or one of the many Halloween shops that appear like ghosts seasonally. Costumes can be found at card shops, toy stores, and dance and exercise shops.
You can also place yourself in the hands of a professional at Magic Planet. Owner Michael Brotman has been dealing in costumes, novelties and magic for 15 years, since leaving school at age 15. Brotman, a member of the Magic Castle magicians club in Hollywood and a resident of Westlake, says his store in Thousand Oaks is a treasure trove of ideas, accessories and costumes to rent and buy.
Magic Planet specializes in customer service and its staff will work with you to find the perfect costume. Organized like a Halloween laboratory, the shop has a plethora of ghoulish accessories. If you have Bo-Peep’s dress, they have her parasol. If you have a gangster suit, they have a wool fedora. In fact, a glance reveals that bonnets, beards and ball and chains make up just a fraction of the “B” section.
The rental costumes are mostly handmade and beautifully cared for. One-day rental prices vary from $29.95 to $64.95, but you can pick up the costume a few days before a party. Once a costume is chosen for rental, it is tagged and reserved until picked up. Afterward the costumes are carefully cleaned and put away for next year. The Magic Planet also has a huge collection of new costumes for sale. Prices average $29.95 to $39.95 and go as high as $129.95. One wall of the shop is covered with Polaroid snapshots of everyday people in wild gear. The photos provide a realistic portrayal of how the costumes will look. One of the best brands is Secrets. They make beautiful costumes for children as well as adults. While expensive for one night, most kids will wear their costumes again and again in dress-up play.
For the trickster on a budget, thrift stores are a great resource for Halloween gear. Browse around for a pair of clown pants, a sailor suit or a “Bride of Frankenstein” dress. My all-time favorite costume was on a 9-year-old friend who found a tiny cocktail dress, put her hair in a bouffant and went out as Barbie!
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Makeup is also cost efficient. A popular book out right now called “Face Painting” (Klutz Press, $16.95) gives ideas and techniques for creating terrific Halloween disguises. The book even includes a box of theatrical makeup--there is enough grease paint for a slew of goblins. A child’s face painted spooky white needs only a sheet to be a ghost. A painted tiger face is completed by black leotards and tights. Look for some latex to fashion really creepy scars.
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Check out all the shops for costumes marked down after Halloween. They make great gifts for children. Most girls will prance around in a half-priced princess costume year-round. Little boys love to play in a Superman cape or in Ninja Turtle attire anytime too.
Julie Sawyer, an experienced shopper, writes the Shop Talk column regularly in Ventura Life. Want to know where to find the best stuff at the best price? Write to her at 5200 Valentine Road, Suite 140, Ventura, Calif. 93003 or send faxes to 658-5576.
