Costumes for Valentine’s Day

Wearing costumes is a romantic way to express your affection for your significant other on Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re looking for adult Halloween costumes, kids Halloween costumes – or costumes, and accessories for any occasion – you will find what you need here.   

In addition to plus size Valentine’s Day costumes, you will also find that the costume companies also have Valentine’s Day decorations for your home, car, dorm room, office, and even a car. It’s quite romantic to go out to your car and see a Valentine’s Day decoration on the windshield (just be sure to sign it so that she/he knows that it’s from you.).

Retailers around the world push traditional gifts such as heart-shaped chocolates, cards, flowers, and jewelry, but what women really want oftentimes gets blurred out from all the marketing that goes on before Valentine’s Day.

A young lady that has in mind sexy Valentine’s Day gift ideas when looking for a gift for her husband or boyfriend can simplify things by waiting at home for her mate dressed in one of Valentine’s Day outfits from Halloween Mart.

Valentines Day outfits come in a variety of styles that include naughty Cupid costumes, Be Mine Cupid outfits, Queen of Hearts costumes, Queen of Broken Hearts outfits, petticoat dresses, satin garter dresses, camo cutie costumes, and sexy school girl costumes.

Women that prefer wearing Valentine’s Day lingerie for the holiday could dress up in a Valentine heart chemise, Valentine heart bra and tanga set, Daisy Mae pink bra and panty set, polka dot bra and thong set, or one of many other styles of Valentines Day lingerie.

For something a little more intimate, check out the huge selection of Valentine’s Day Lingerie They make a great gift whether you are the one giving or receiving because both of you will reap the benefits.

Summer Stock

Years ago while living in New York City, I landed my first summer stock job and was off to Ohio and Michigan to do two shows in three weeks with the Kenley Players. Past scenic designs for the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival include the 2005 productions of Macbeth, The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and As You Like It. Shawn has also designed productions for the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Pacific Alliance Stage Company, Word for Word, City Theatre, Capitol Stage at the Delta King Theatre, Inquiline Theatre Company, San Francisco State University, and other companies around the Bay Area.

Summer stock theatre is any theatre that presents stage productions only in the summer. The name combines the season with the tradition of staging shows by a resident company, reusing stock scenery and costumes. Summer stock theatres frequently take advantage of seasonal weather by having their productions outdoors or under tents set up temporarily for their use. Some smaller theatres still continue this tradition, and a few summer stock theatres have become highly regarded by both patrons as well as performers and designers. Often viewed as a starting point for professional actors, stock casts are typically young, just out of high school or still in college.

Summer stock started in 1919-1920s with four theatres: The Muny, St. Louis, Mo. (1919) is the nation’s oldest and largest outdoor musical theatre; Manhattan Theatre Colony, first started near Peterborough, New Hampshire (1927) and moved to Ogunquit, Maine; the Cape Playhouse, Dennis, Massachusetts (1927); and the Berkshire Playhouse, Stockbridge, Massachusetts (1928). Summer stock n. U.S. theatrical productions by a repertory company organized for the summer season, esp.

In its heyday during the sixties and seventies, summer stock on the East Coast had a circuit in which shows were put up quickly, usually with a recognizable TV star in the lead role in order to sell more tickets. The closest one to Los Angeles is the Sacramento Music Circus, which still pulls them in and does a quick summer season. Out on the East Coast, the Theater By the Sea in Massachusetts is one of the few that is still operating, but it’s a far cry from what it was like several decades ago. Last summer Keith Mottola of the Steps Theatre wanted to produce his first summer stock season.

He brought me in a few years ago to the Steps Theatre, a small theater in Bellingham, Massachusetts, just south of Boston, and with two weeks’ rehearsal, we put on a production of Willy Wonka. While one show is going on costumes are being prepared for the next show and sets are being built, ready to load in the exact same day you strike the previous show. 

The Props Table

Balloon to dove is a strange item. The performer inflates a balloon, clamps it to a very suspicious looking tray (one much thicker than what is needed to hold the enormous weight of a balloon), and Voila! —traumatized bird! Perhaps someone wanted to charge an extra fifty bucks for having a show with animals, and this prop just screamed to be bought at the local auction. Nevertheless, it probably isn’t very deceptive to adults. As for kids, it’s the bird that is getting the strong reaction, not the trick. If you doubt this, just skip the trick and pull the bird out of a paper sack.

Seeing that props are in place on the props tables are the responsibility of both the props running crew and the actor who uses the prop. The crew should do preshow check AND each actor should check his own personal props before the show. Ideally props should always be in their place on the table when not in use. The actor will pick them up before an entrance and should replace props on the table when they exit. During Strike , Props Crew is responsible for assisting Props Designer in returning props and insuring all items are returned in good condition.

Masot Costume Crash Course

Much of the thinking and process of making a costume is contained in this less than 2 minute video.

More time could have been devoted to how the head is constructed, but I like that he speaks of the eyes, the expression and the colors and how critical they are to the overall personality of the mascot costume.  

I live in a college football town (unnamed) and the local university has the absolutely worst mascot I have ever seen. The eyes are spacey and the smile (if you want to call it that) is bland.  A few minor changes to the eyes and the mouth would at least give the hometown mascot some personality.  Right now, the only personality that it gets is from the guy/gal wearing the costume…and at least he or she is animated.

CLICK  HERE for more on costumes.

Costume Mascots 2

Well acted out, and a nice costume, I might say.  Notice the fake fur has a tencdency to overlap and blend in with itself.  Almost seamless.

As to dressing, He did this correctly….from the bottom up.

On the costume, I saw the same engineering flaw in the head design that I saw with a costume head in an earlier video. Engineering plays a major part in the design of these costumes.  There must be adequate visibility and adequate ventilation.  

For instance, some designers set the eyes so as to see straight ahead, and unless there is an offsetting opening in the mouth  (so as to look downwards), the character will be percieved as looking downward or the wearer is looking to take a tumble.  Instructions need to be included as to how to walk, talk and play the part.  A mis-step on a staircase because of the oversized shoes/feet might cause a trip (literally and figuratively) to the local ER.

The head must be secure so as to not fall off, and the wearer must feel secure that it won’t fall off; otherwise he’ll be playing to the costume and not to his audience.

For more on theatrical and maquerade costumes, CLICK HERE

Caveat Emptor on Mascot Costumes

Hmm…I wonder if the Disney folks relaxed their policies on the sales of Mickey Mouse costumes?  I came across this video which prompted this comment.

  In the past (20-50 or more years ago), it was a huge copyright No-No to duplicate, rent, buy, sell or manufacture Disney characters, and most other copyrighted characters as well.

Disney and any other companies who have copyrighted characters want to maintain a certin integrity for those characters; and it would be really bad publicity if the public saw a drunken Goofy, or Donald Duck robbing a bank, wouldn’t it? That’s why they maintain an iron-fist when it comes to their characters.

Back in the olden days, I understand there were 20+ typewritten pages (remember typewriters?) with details as to how the costumes would be worn, how often gloves would be changed, etc.;  and especially never, never remove the head, and always, always keep in character.

Does this apply to those famous character costumes sold at Walmart or Target or your favorite grocery store?  I assume that the manufacturers of these costumes were licesnsed to manufacture and sell them, so you are likely OK.  You might check the labels to be certain though.

 More costume stuff at this location…CLICK HERE

Mascot Costumes 1

Now the fun begins.  The next 2-3 weeks will be devoted to everthing that relates to mascot costumes.

So wear do all these mascot costumes come from that you see at many sports events?  BTW, the misspelling of ‘wear’ was on purpose.  My mindless sense of humor, I guess.

Originally, these mascot heads were made from paper mache, followed by a number of plastic impregnated fabrics.  Foam seemed to be a late bloomer (historically wise), but seems to be the choice of many mascot builders now.  I preferred a product called Celastic because it held it shape better and was impervious to rain, sleet and snow.  Foam heads have one serious drawback and that is the cleaning of them.  Dry cleaning causes dry rot and washing, well actually the drying process, takes days.

And being a bit snobbish because I manufactured these for 50 years, there is a design flaw in this costume.  Overall, it’s pretty good, though.

For more on theatrical and masquerade costumes, CLICK HERE

Argh!!!!

No need to comment on this article or anything else that has to do with the Honey Boo Boo phenomena.  Oh ye of little or no talent like TinyTim of years ago, I hope it blows over soon .

For more on costumes, and especially the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons just ahead, visit us at www.costumescostumescostumes.net

Honey Boo Boo dresses as a pirate for Halloween

“Honey Boo Boo was a popular Halloween costume this year, but the reality television star — being Honey Boo Boo every other day of the year — had to think of a different outfit. She wore a bright pink and black dress Wednesday. The costume appears to …New York Daily News”
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/honey-boo-boo-popular-costume-year-article-1.1196170