Comments Off on Hats! Hats! Hats!
Posted by admin | Category:Miscellaneous
Hats! Hats! Hats!
Looking for a theatrical hat for your production, or a period hat for your own use? One of my suppliers specializes in quality theatrical (mostly period/historical) hats for both men and women. How many of these might be used for everyday use so as to look different, be different from everyone else? Caveat: These hats might not be suitable for outdoor use (rain, sleet, snow, etc) Anyhow…Give us a shout!
russkampmann@yahoo.com
Over the next few weeks, most of our posts will be about period hats for men and women. The next two posts will be devoted to renaissance hats for women. To come will be the Civil War period, the Victorian period, the Roaring Twenties, the 30’s and 40’s and a scattering of in betweens. Hats, hats and hats will hopefully have a lot of pictures to accentuate the articles.
Comments Off on 2018…2019…2020 New Years Eve Costumes
Posted by admin | Category:Seasonal Costumes
2019…2020…2021
And yet another countdown. This time to the end of 2020 or the beginning of 2021, whichever you prefer.We’ll talk about the cleaning and storage of Santa in a few days; but in the meantime, we have another masked ball to go to on December 31.
Gone are the heydays of the Night Clubs and Supper Clubs and their formality of wearing tie and tails, top hat and cane, black and white, formal dress ware.Although much more informal in this new century, there are still a few costumed parties. But it might be a little more difficult to dress in costume than at Halloween, where anything is fair game.For New Years Eve starters, there are the robed Father Times and diapered Baby New Year costumes. A long white wig and beard, similar to Santa’s might be in order, but the scythe might be a bit dangerous to the other party goers.What happened in 2018 (events and celebrities as in who died and who did what) might be starting points for your costume, and politicians are always fair game.
Or maybe, just wear the glitz and glittered shiny cardboard hat, and have a blow tickler (aka snake blowout) handy to make a little noise at midnight. Have fun, because in the next few days is the beginning of a new year.
Your suit is ready. Your belt, boot tops, glasses and gloves are lined up, and show time is very soon.
Some children love to sit on Santa’s lap and chatter about how good they’ve been and what they want for Christmas. Then there are those children, who love Santa from across the room or at a distance, but want nothing to do with him at a close up range.
Don’t take it personally. It’s not you. It’s your persona.
And what to do about those little guys who want to tug on your beard to see if it’s real or those looking for clues as to who you really are. From my experience, I never really let them get an angle on me where they could try to tug a beard, or look for any telltales signs that might provide them with a clue that you are not really Santa. I sit them on my lap facing a little bit away from me, and a little more towards the audience (family, parents, whatever). They then have to turn their face a little to the rear to see me, but their body is angled away from me so as to prevent those grabs and deeper glances. If you are a newbie, and concerned about the forthcoming interaction, your questions are probably less about the suit, and more about THE conversation. And conversing with a 4 year old is always interesting to say the least.
After plopping the child on my lap, I ask the usual questions such as ‘Were you a good little girl or boy?’, and ‘What would you like Santa to bring you?’ and offer a little advice on a few of their shortcomings (as provided by Mom or Dad). I might speak of my home at the North Pole or about Mrs. Santa or the Elves or the reindeer. My needing to feed my reindeer or needing to see other children was always my exit line.
As to how to field the children’s questions? Out of the mouths of babes come the least expected questions. Either answer the question with a simple answer, or dazzle them with your intellect (G). Basically brother, you’re on your own on this one.
How long should you hold the child? Sometimes it seems like an eternity, and I’ve never been timed, but I would guess the average child is on my lap for only a couple of minutes.
Lastly, beware the Santa challenged child, though, for they might dampen thy suit.
Comments Off on Christmas is only 7 Days Away!
Posted by admin | Category:Christmas Costumes
Christmas is only 7 days away!
Christmasis nearly here, with its array of costumed characters. Of course, Santa is our December star, but he needs a lot of help fromMrs. Santa, the elves, Dancer and Prancer and the rest of the reindeer and a few Santa Belles.Brrrr….it’s cold, but ourSnowmanis happy with the weather.
And the season abounds with Tin Soldiers, and Nutcrackers and Toy costumes of every kind. Not to mention “The Nutcracker” and “A Christmas Carol” costumes.
And how do we know all about costumes? We have been in business for 157 years (since 1860). Our origin goes back to the James Buchanan presidency (the one before Abraham Lincoln). That’s a long time ago, although none of our staff is quite THAT old.
For ALL of your Santa or Christmas Season costume questions, our email address is:
We nearly forgot the elf costumes, or elves as they would be in plural. Elf costumes would probably not be used at a home party because most home parties only feature Santa. However, if your local church, or union or office is sponsoring a Christmas party, it may come replete with a cast of characters such as Mrs. Santa, Santa Belles, a reindeer or two and a snowman. Elves (sounds like Elvis, doesn’t it?) might be in abundance as well.
Of all the costumes, the Elf is the easiest and by far the most comfortable. With a little imagination, you might be able to construct one at home; as all it requires is a pair of tights (well, you might not have tights at home), a tunic, hat, cord, and something to cover the shoes.
OK, maybe this post is a little late for this year, but you might consider this for your various parties next year. Make a note.
They were called Santa Belles, and now sometimes called Miss Santa’s, but either way, they were are the young ladies who assist Santa in handing out the Christmas gifts. Short, sexy, cute outfits that young girls wear as they are assisting Santa in handing out gifts.
The key was that the Santa Belles wore dresses that were knee length, maybe an inch or so higher or an inch or so lower. This was the optimum length so as to not offend anyone, long enough for modesty, and yet short enough so as to catch the eye of Dad. Or Grandad. Or Great Granddad.
Always red in color, and made of various fabrics, but always trimmed in the same white plush that trimmed Santa’s outfit. Around the neckline, and cuffs, and often times around the hem of the skirt.
Our Santa Belle outfits (when I had a shop) had white boot tops to match the trimming, and either white or red tights so as to not show any flesh, but still have appeal.
Perhaps a white plush fur beret, or maybe a white plush barrette, or maybe an entirely different kind of hat or cap topped off the outfit.
What about the final touches for your Santa Claus costume, and what do 5 years olds look for when they are sitting on Santa’s lap? Hopefully they will not recognize your ring or watch or glasses or shoes; but those little problems can be covered.
And if you decide to super size, where can you find Santa costumes that large?
In my years of experience, it seems that many organizations, schools, churches and even families for home parties tried to find the largest guy they could to play the jolly little man with a pot belly. Was he a little man? Not likely, but he certainly would not have been gargantuan, either.
Even I, at 5’7″, and weighing in at 130# (at the time) played the role (with a pillow or two) once or twice. Way too small, but…
Has anyone considered what a 6’7″, 400# Santa looks like to a small child? If a person that size looks huge to me, he must look like the giant in ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ to a toddler. Santa can be frightening enough to some children even without the size factor.More attention should be paid to the personality of your Santa and how he interacts with children, rather than finding the largest person available.
Editors note: In my past life, we (costume renters) were able to fit Santa’s over 500#, but the present sizing may not follow most sizing standards. I would recommend checking with your local full service costume shop who might be able to help you. Check for one in you area by clicking on this site:
Paraphrase from the William Shakespeare line, ‘the play’s the thing’.
Santa beards and wigs range from the department store Santa who might have spent several months in growing his own, to something you’d be ashamed to wear to an adult office Christmas party.
If it doesn’t fool a four-year-old, then it’s a bad Santa wig and beard set. It may look fake to you, but it’s got to look good to a child.
Discounting the quality of hair, Santa wigs are Santa wigs; and about the only difference in them might be bangs or no bangs, and perhaps in the hair styling itself. We used a ‘marcell’ style creating a wavy look similar to the ladies hairstyles of the 1920’s. The beard, too, was ‘marcelled’.
Most Santa sets have an accompanying beard and attached mustache; but sometimes the mustache is a separate piece that needs to be attached with spirit gum. Lose the mustache though, and replacing it to match the beard might be a challenge.
The wig (hair) might be affixed to a cloth headpiece, or the hair might be embedded into a headpiece made of netting. The netting allows more air flow and might be more comfortable, but both work if they fit properly.
Beards (hair) are similar but use only a chin strap (cloth or netting) to attach the hair to. The cloth needs to be washable, without the possibility of shrinking. Flannel or any shrinkable chin straps or wig bases would be a poor choice.
Oh. The hair itself, you ask? There are human hair wig & beard sets on the market, as well as yak hair (made from the hair of a yak) and as long as the fit is good they are usually a smart purchase. The fit might be dependent upon where they were manufactured. A Chinese large head size might be comparable to an American small head size. And with the proliferation of defective Asian products these past few years, caveat emptor in general.
Synthetic sets (nylon, Orlon, etc.) are available as well, and some are good and some are not so good. It’s always best to try on the products if that is an option.
Then there are those wig and beard sets that look like cotton. Some are mohair, and some are also synthetic. One they become soiled, they are not washable nor cleanable. These are the type that usually accompanies a new Santa suit. My primary objection to them is they won’t pass the ‘four-year-old’ test.
The ability to wash, clean, and restyle the wig on an ongoing, year-to-year basis is another consideration. The hair might look good, but if the skull cap (base) loses its shape in a washing, you will be buying another set next year.
Don’t…Don’t…Don’t…throw wigs and beards into a washing machine or dryer. Never! Never! Never!
The care and cleaning of a Santa beard and wig set will be a subject for another day.
Thanksgiving…A day of rest, relaxation, and overindulgence, and the last day before our annual Christmas surge of Santa suit rentals and sales, and Santa wigs and beards sales and all the other Christmas costumes and accessories.
Thanksgiving…The day before all the office, church, school, organization, and association Christmas parties begin prepping for the first 2 or three weeks of December. The Snowmen are clean, the Reindeer are groomed. The Toy Soldiers are lined up in a row. Elf suits galore, as are Santa Belles and Mrs. Santa’s. A Nutcracker or two. Not to forget the array of Christmas Carol characters, Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, and the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. We have white eyebrows and glasses and makeup for rosy red lips and cheeks for Santa; and gloves, and even padding, too. You forgot the Santa bells (not the Santa Belles) to ring out when Santa arrives? We have them as well.
But for Thursday, today, a couple of we Pilgrims and a scattering of Native American friends will be breaking bread, followed by an afternoon of college and professional football. Hmmm….I don’t remember football games in ’21………..1621, that is.
Looking for a theatrical hat for your production, or a period hat for your own use? One of my suppliers specializes in quality theatrical (mostly period/historical) hats for both men and women. How many of these might be used for everyday use so as to look different, be different from everyone else? Caveat: These hats might not be suitable for outdoor use (rain, sleet, snow, etc) Anyhow…Give us a shout! 
