Adult Costume Ideas

Costumes??

I am in my schools production of Pirates of Penzance, and I am a daughter in the courus. However, I am having a trouble finding a costume. Besides ebay and amazon, does anyone know a website that would have costumes that would fit this era (late 1800s) that don't cost too much money (up to $50) My mom said she would pay $60 actually (it would be my holloween costume too)

Public Comments

1. It will cost you a lot more to buy a full period costume than to piece one together. I would recommend you do some research, get some ideas for what you want, then start hitting up the local used clothing stores. Check out the local costume shop for something that you can spice up a bit. Or, even better, check into renting/borrowing a costume from the Theatre department at the local high school/university. They have storage rooms full of it and they'll often let you use it for free. Good luck!
2. What you need to do is find some pictures of what you want to achieve. You might be able to buy a hat at a craft store, spray paint it, wear a corset that you could maybe find at a second hand store and then for the skirt, do what they usually do, take a large piece of material, drape it around it you and pin it in place. Also, you might want to go with white gloves and maybe a small pillow could double for a bustle.
3. Why don't you get an old prom dress or wedding dress at a thrift shop and alter it? (I'm serious.)
4. Shop around, look for things that are, or could easily be changed to fit, the time period. It would be a lot of extra work, but it could save lots of money, and may in fact be the only way to get something authentic.