17 minute read
so hot
so hot! 6 tips for selling “Adult” costuMes And Accessories
By ed Avis
Kids getting ready for trick-or-treating or Halloween parades are of course a giant market for your costume shop, but let’s be honest — adults buy a lot of costumes, too. And in many cases, they want their costume to be flattering or downright sexy. And for some costume businesses, the sale of sensual wear goes beyond costumes and includes lingerie, corsets, and such.
Adult costumes can add significantly to your bottom line, but you have to stock the right costumes, display them well, and let customers know you have them. Whether you inventory adult-themed costumes and accessories already, or have decided you want to start, the following tips can get you started on the road to boosting your adult costume sales:
#1 remember that “sexy” means different things to different people.
Gorgeous models dressed in skimpy cheerleader outfits might be the cliché image of adult costumes, but not everybody wants that look or can pull it off successfully. To truly serve the adult sensual costume market, consider stocking a wide range of flattering wear. For example, Make Believe Costumes & Dancewear in St. Augustine, Florida sells a lot of hippy outfits to customers who want to look good without being overtly sexy, says Julie Gump, the store’s owner. Other costumes in that category, depending on how tight or skimpy they are, could be uniforms, Egyptian clothing, and pirate outfits.
Apollo and Venus from Dreamgirl
#2 Match your “raunchiness” level to your community.
Adult costumes — and lingerie, if you extend your adult line to that level — exist on a spectrum of sexiness. If you serve a customer base that is comfortable with a high level of sensuality, you will probably sell a lot of costumes and clothing on the top of that spectrum. But if you are concerned about offending community members by being too daring, you should probably avoid the overtly trashy outfits and those that might push the envelope of propriety. “We don’t sell the sexy Girl Scout stuff or the schoolgirl uniforms,” Gump says. “I’ve never carried those little trashy things.”
#3 Make a tasteful display.
When Illusive Skull Costume Castle in Fairmont, West Virginia decided to expand their line of corsets, bustiers, garter belts and sexy stockings, they created an area called the “Baby Got Curves Boutique” based around a beautiful old oak display case. “We filled the case with corsets by sizes and on the wall behind it we hung specific corsets, such as for Valentine’s Day, and tons of stockings,” says Pam Markel, the store’s co-owner. “And we decorated the top of the counter with small decorative suitcases, like you were going away for the weekend. We also had vases of flowers and old perfume bottles.” Markel says they completed the classy look with pink chiffon draped around the space.
At Make Believe Costumes, Gump says she uses her store’s mannequins to exhibit some of the adult costumes. She even
Starline Costume’s Plus Size Cruel Madam Illusive Skull’s “Baby Got Curves” Boutique
has one “large busted” mannequin that shows off the potential of certain wear, though she says regular mannequins work just as well.
#4 stock plus sizes
People come in all sizes, and they all want to be flattered when wearing adult costumes. That means you should be stocking plenty of plus-size adult costumes.
“All women want to look good at Halloween,” says Dani Fitzgerald, CEO of Starline, which has a line of sexy costumes that go up to 5X. “They want to look cute or sexy, and they deserve that. Our plus-size costumes give them that opportunity.” Fitzgerald says her company’s sales of plus-size costumes have more than doubled in the past year, testimony to the importance of stocking them in your store. Fitzgerald adds that plus-size costumes don’t need to look any less attractive than regular size costumes. “We found that redesign is not necessary in most cases,” she says. “For example, our bodysuits in the plus sizes are still form fitting and highlight a woman’s curves. Keeping our regular styling in the larger sizes has been very successful for us.”
#5 don’t forget the men #6 don’t forget to include your adult line in your marketing.
The focus of adult costumes is often women, but men want to look attractive, too. “For guys, King of Egypt, hippy, disco and definitely pirate stuff sells well,” Gump says. Other flatter-
ing men’s costumes include rock star, caveman, construction worker, Hugh Hefner, astronaut and police officer. If your store serves the LGBTQ community, the range of sensual men’s costumes greatly expands. Another option when stocking your adult section is to include costumes that come in pairs. Examples include Egyptian King and Cleopatra; cowboy and barmaid; Hugh Hefner and Playboy Bunny; Batman and Catwoman; and pirate and wench. And make sure to include the fact that you carry plus sizes and men’s costumes. Customers might assume you specialize in kids’ costumes, since Julie Gump features more “modest” costumes at Make Believe Costumes & Dancewear that’s what first comes to mind when most people think of a costume shop. By showing off some adult wear in your social media posts, on your website and as part of other promotions, you might discover a new category of customers altogether.
Be welcoMing: tips on serVing the drAg coMMunity
By ed Avis
Serving the drag community is part of the mission of many costume businesses. Costumers who succeed with the drag community share some key characteristics: They demonstrate an understanding of the culture; they offer products that help those customers express their personas; and they provide training to those exploring the culture.
“The drag market is pretty big for us,” says Kathy Sprague, co-owner of NCA Member Safari Pearl in Moscow, Idaho. In addition to offering products and education to people interested in drag, Sprague produces the drag troupe the TabiKat Toms. “With COVID declining, live drag events have bounced back with a vengeance. This month we’re going to two different college campuses in our region and doing a Drag 101 makeup clinic.”
whAt is drAg?
Drag refers to dressing and using makeup to highlight a gender identity, usually of the opposite sex. Drag is often associated with the LGBTQ community, but there are some straight drag performers. “Drag queens” wear clothing and makeup that exaggerate female characteristics, and “drag kings” dress to exaggerate male characteristics. In most cases, queens are men and kings are women, though some are transgender.
A common mistake is to associate the drag community with transgender individuals — they are not the same. Being transgender is not just a matter of dressing up in different clothes or wearing makeup; rather, it’s a permanent identity. Transgender individuals also may be good customers for clothing and makeup that accentuates gender, but that’s not what makes them transgender. In contrast, when drag queens or kings remove the clothing and makeup, they resume their day-to-day identity.
creAte A welcoMing spAce
Understanding and respecting the drag community’s culture is essential to creating that environment for customers who participate in drag events or are interested in drag products.
“Your first step in servicing this community well is to not make any assumptions about your customers,” Sprague says, adding that her store serves both drag and transgender customers. One way to demonstrate your sensitivity to gender issues is to have your employees wear nametags that specify which pronoun they prefer, Sprague suggests. “That’s a good opener. That makes people feel comfortable.”
You can research drag culture online to learn the basics. Sprague also suggests reaching out to the community itself. You can make connections through a queer bar or community center, and/or get in touch with local drag queens or kings and look through their social media to see what looks they have and what products they may need.
whAt products should you cArry?
Makeup that highlights gender is a key aspect of a drag identity. Most basic makeup kits contain the elements someone dressing in drag requires, but there are things they may need more of.
Foundation, translucent powder, fixing spray, and bright colored blush, eye shadow, eyeliner and lipstick are important makeup elements these customers purchase, according to Tim Pearson, showroom manager and head makeup artist for
Kryolan in New York City, who says about 40 percent of his store’s customers are from the drag community.
“It’s not one size fits all,” Pearson says. “You need to make sure that you’re able to give them an option that gives them the coverage they want and an option on how to set the makeup the proper way. There is a lot of powder, a lot of heavy coverage makeup.”
Sprague says she is working on a custom kit of makeup that will include the products like foundation sticks and bold-colored makeup needed for basic drag looks.
The drag community buys more than makeup, however. Drag kings often want chest binders that reduce the size of their breasts and “packers,” which make it look like they have a penis. Drag queens often want breastplates — silicone upper chest forms with breasts — or foam breasts.
“You’re hiding one thing and adding another,” Sprague explains. Artificial hair, or crepe hair, also sells well in the drag community. Both drag queens and kings use wigs to emulate the opposite sex, and many drag kings use fake mustaches, stubble or beards. Giant false eyelashes also are popular among some drag queens. Similarly, hair dye is important because it allows drag performers to vary their look or create a particular persona. “We do a lot with crepe hair,” Sprague says. “The nice thing is you have every single color out there, and they’re not buying just one shade of crepe hair. We teach the kings how to blend their own hair color. We show them how to do stubble with the crepe hair, and that’s a huge add-on.” Many drag performers also buy costumes. Dressing up is a key part of creating a drag persona, and if you watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, you’ll see that outrageous clothing is often part of the show. It is important to stock plus sizes — men wearing clothing designed for women often need larger sizes. The same goes
for hosiery — stock the largest sizes available if you want drag queens to buy them.
educAting custoMers
One way to foster sales of drag products is to teach courses on the topic. If you lack the expertise to do that, try finding someone in the community who can help.
Safari Pearl offers Drag 101, a class that includes information about the history of drag, etiquette in the dressing room and with the audience, and makeup and hair basics. Sprague says her company conducts two or three classes each semester on different campuses in the area.
“We deal with a lot of college students, and if they want to perform in one of our drag shows, the first thing they have to do is take Drag 101,” Sprague says. “We go over rules and behavior and we do a makeup tutorial. It’s peer teaching, so we have one of our established performers work with a newbie, help them pick out their foundation color, help them pick out everything that they’re going to need.”
Experienced makeup artists can teach drag makeup, even if that’s not their specialty.
“If you do old-school theatrical makeup and you can contour and highlight and do old-age makeup, you can do drag makeup,” Sprague says. “Especially with the kings, they’ve got to contour like a maniac. They’re trying to cut that jawline harsher. So, if you know old-school makeup, you can do a lot.”
A final thought: Members of the drag community may already be shopping in your store. Making them feel welcome, and offering products they need, can help your business become a go-to spot for customers interested in drag — people who might have been a previously overlooked part of your community.
Ed Avis is the publisher of The Costumer.
taylor Maid Beauty and Theatrical supply
By kathleen furore
Rick and Paula Taylor pose in front of their Provo store.
“If we can’t make you beautiful, we will sell you a mask.”
That tagline sums up the approach Rick Taylor has taken for 47 years at Taylor Maid Beauty and Theatrical Supply, the business he launched in 1975 in University Mall in Orem, Utah to fill the void he saw in the area’s costume and beauty marketplace.
“It was one of the first costume rentals stores in the state,” says Taylor, who was introduced to the beauty business at age 15 when he started sweeping floors at Frend’s Beauty Supply in Studio City, California. Within a few years, he was named manager of the business, which supplied many of Hollywood’s biggest stars and studios. In addition to working with those stars on television and motion pictures, Taylor also helped outfit them for Halloween.
Halloween makeup is a Taylor Maid Specialty. “When we were doing costuming and makeup in Hollywood, actors and actresses would come in for Halloween — that was before Halloween was thought of anything beyond a holiday for kids,” Taylor recalls.
As exciting as the business was, Taylor’s heart was telling him that California wasn’t really home.
“I moved to Utah because I was tired of Hollywood – I was born in Utah,” says Taylor. “In 1975, I returned to my roots in Utah and saw the lack of beauty options available and opened one of the first costume rentals stores in the state.”
What started with a single rental costume quickly grew to include thousands of rental costumes, accessories and props, along with top-of-the line beauty products he’d worked with in Hollywood.
“In those early years I would drive straight through to California and back every weekend to bring the top beauty products in the country to my customers in Utah,” Taylor recalls. Our loyal customers who saw and appreciated what we had to offer grew us into the largest beauty supply in Utah with over 20 stores and the first beauty supply to be in a mall.”
The company now operates two stores (one in Provo, one in Orem); several Mini Moustachery locations featuring men’s hair and grooming supplies in malls throughout the state; and some satelilite stores during the Halloween season.
Customers can buy men’s and women’s grooming and hair care supplies, regular makeup, theatrical and FX makeup, costumes, and wigs; rent costumes; visit the store’s full-service salon; and attend classes including how to create gory wounds and how to apply FX makeup. At Halloween, customers can take classes that show how to create their Halloween look or have staff makeup artists create it for them if they don’t want a do-it-yourself option.
“In this era, doing all of those things is the only way to stay in business,” Taylor says. “I would not be able to with just one of those.”
As much as the industry has changed, Taylor’s vision is the same as it was when he “brought beauty to Utah” almost 50 years ago.
“Taylor Maid’s commitment is to have the best brands and the ability to cater to the needs of each individual customer at the most competitive price possible,” he concludes. “Taylor Maid is still family owned with my sons and daughters playing an integral part in our future.”
— rick taylor
Kathleen Furore is the editor of The Costumer.
gemar Balloons. Gemar’s
Periwinkle latex balloon is the perfect color to celebrate any event in 2022 — Very Peri, the Pantone color of the year! It’s more than just a popular shade — Very Peri represents a moment of transition. Blue shades are always popular, and they represent something stable, a little cold perhaps but reliable to a fault. This new member of the family is different. Violet-red undertones make Very Peri a little less predictable, and a little more volatile. This is a color that encourages imagination and creativity as we create and recreate our new lives, infused with hope and positivity.
786-773-5863 ext. 3008; info@gemarusa.com ncA exclusive clown, old Man and
gorilla Masks. The NCA Exclusives Program has released three masks in collaboration with Zagone Studios. The Sick-O Evil Clown, Grand Dad, and Silver Go-Rilla all are top quality, full-overhead masks crafted by hand in the United States. The masks are available only to NCA members. Order directly from Zagone.
773-509-0610; jenellew@zagonestudios.com
Batman and Barbie from inspirit designs.
This officially licensed Fortnite Batman Zero costume includes a printed jumpsuit with padded muscle sleeves and Velcro-on thigh pouch, a belt with buckle and attached pouch, Velcro shoulder armor, and an iconic half mask for a complete superhero look!
The Barbie Box Adult Costume let’s your customers dress up in their favorite stylish outfit, step inside the box, and look just the iconic toy in no time. The officially licensed Barbie Box costume comes with a supportive box tunic with clear plastic and cut-out holes for breathing at face level. The Barbie Box also includes 16 poles and 8 corner connectors for easy building.
516-873-9000 ext. 256;
Alexl@fun-world.net; https://inspirit-designs.com/
goods for geeks. Is there anything more annoying than a staticky wig? Goods For Geeks specially formulated wig spray helps you and your customers deal with dry, fly away staticky wig hair. Just a couple of sprays brushed through the wig will control static and tangles. Made from nontoxic ingredients, safe for all wigs.
970-414-0857; www.goodsforgeeks.com
starline plus size costumes. Starline offers a full line of “sexy” plus size costumes. Best-sellers include Alluring Sea Siren (S8022X), Empress Divine (S9025X), and Rosas Day of The Dead (PK2053XL). All Starline plus size costumes are designed to flatter the wearer and come in sizes up to 5X.
www.starline.la
sunnywood — for all of your
flapper needs. Create this look with our #4448BK Sequin Flapper, #4439 Lace Gloves (available in white or black), and #4419 Impressive Flapper Headpiece. All at a fabulous value, in stock and ready to ship.
call tammy at 815-675-9777 ext. 105; www.sunnywood.net
NCA MARKETPLACE
Advertising in the NCA Marketplace is $35 per issue (10% discount for NCA members). You will be billed upon publication; payment is due upon receipt. For full details, see the advertising contract available at www.costumers.org. Contact Ed Avis at 708-218-7755 or pub@costumers.org.
George Garcia and Staff Fantasy Costumes Chicago, Illinois
When you’re billed as “Chicago’s one-stop costume shop for over 50 years!” and the place where “there’s always a party,” you’ve obviously worked with a lot of costumes!
Fantasy Costumes — a business that got its start in the 1960s when longtime owner George Garcia transitioned from selling wigs out of his car to owning five large costume stores throughout the city — now operates just one of those locations: the sprawling 20,000 square foot store that opened in 1969 and takes up more than a full block on the city’s northwest side.
That’s a lot of room — which means the store not only offers the largest selection of costumes, wigs, rentals, makeup and more in Chicago, but also serves television and film crews, cosplayers, and businesses throwing themed events in the Chicago area, too.
When asked about a favorite costume from more than five decades in business, Garcia turned to his staff for the answer.
According to Manager Cathy Bunger, the rental staff chose two: the custom-made Maleficent and an Egyptian sun goddess from a line imported from Italy. Both are available for rental only. “The train on Maleficent is over 8 feet long and is made of super high-quality fabrics. The Egyptian sun goddess is also very high quality — and we are the only costume store in the Midwest to carry this line,” Grunger explains.
What is your favorite costume? To be considered for an upcoming My Favorite Costume profile, email Editor Kathleen Furore at kfurore@yahoo.com.
