BY DESIGN : Make Believe

Searched the town over for your kid’s favorite costume, but come up empty? “You won’t find shortages if you make your own,” says Caryl Svendsen-Deiches of the Sewing Fashion Council. Hit your local McCalls outlet for materials and patterns of the Lion King, Aladdin and Jasmine, the Flintstones and the much-coveted Power Rangers ($6 to $9). “Halloween costumes in general are very easy to make,” she says. “Remember, it’s only for one day, so it doesn’t have to be all that stable.” If you’re “sew phobic,” she recommends using any of the glues, tapes and trims available that can fuse fabrics together.

And the Phantom?

Forget trick-or-treating. Patrons of Opera Pacific will celebrate the weekend in grand style at a costume ball Saturday at the Hyatt Regency, Irvine. Word is that attendees are renting anything to do with “Aida’s” Egypt and 18th-Century France, as in Manon, Adriana Lecouvreur, Dangerous Liaisons or Les Miserables. The Costume Connection in Costa Mesa has become the source. “We don’t offer the typical package costume,” says co-owner Doni Drexler. “They’re historic pieces.” Many have been collected over the years by her partner, Julie Fitzgerald, who has had pieces reconstructed to fit a period correctly. The store has everything from the medieval to the space age. “We want people to come in, get dressed and

play the part,” Drexler says. Rentals, which include any special undergarments, wigs and accessories, range from $65 to $175.

Little Shops of Horrors

If you’re getting scared because the weekend’s here and your costume isn’t, head to one of the many vintage clothing stores around. Among the sure shopping haunts are shops along Coast Highway in Laguna Beach and in the Orange Circle, Fullerton’s Old Towne and downtown Huntington Beach. Haven’t got a clue as to what to be? No fear: These places are filled with enough options to clothe a Tim Burton movie.