On the Job

Dress Up

When you want the best Halloween costumes, you go to the theater. BY TIM PORTER

TO THE THOUSANDS of young people who’ve studied dance and acting with Margie Belrose at her theater, she’s Miss Margie. But for an equally sizable number of adults, she’s the energetic redhead who transforms them into flappers, gangsters or Renaissance figures with the 3,000 costumes stored in the shop below the theater. How did you get into the costume business? By accident. My son started the costume shop in 1978, but it wasn’t his cup of tea, so he said, “Mom, you take over.” I said, “What do I know about costumes? I’m a dancer, I’m a teacher.” But, within two years I learned all about it. Halloween’s Margie Belrose, coming. Are you ready? Yes, but I don’t rent costumer, dancer, scary costumes. I’m not into that. It’s scary teacher; Belrose Costume Shop, 1415 Fifth Avenue, San Rafael, thebelrose.com/ costume-shop.html and ugly and evil. But I don’t rent those. Why not? I rent nice costumes, not the stuff you can find at these cheap stores. And most of those are scary. Describe your costumes. They are more theatrical, authentic period clothes. We have very different eras, but we don’t have contemporary things. What’s the most popular? Always the ’20s and ’30s, in others words, the flappers and gangsters and that sort of thing. And saloon girls. What do you charge for rental? The average is $35 to $55, although there are some for $65. For the day? For a wearing. If somebody needs it for a couple of days, I do it. I’m not money-oriented. Why do people like to dress up? To escape. From what? Life. I’ll tell you, when people dress up, it changes them. They become someone else. Costumes allow people to be their hidden, secret person. Do you rent to more men or women? A lot more women. When men come in here with their girlfriends or wives they’re here because the women brought them. They want to go to the party so the boyfriend or the husband has to be in a costume, too. What’s your favorite costume? I really like the ’20s. I would have been a wild flapper then. Do you offer advice on costumes? Yes, but I never lie. I never say, “Oh, this looks great on you blah, blah, blah.” I would never do that. We costumers have to be honest that way.

ON THE JOB

Costumer — that’s not a word you hear that often. Downstairs I’m a costumer; upstairs I’m a dancer and a teacher. How many floors do you have? Three. What are you on the third floor? In my bedroom. m