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 | Frequently Asked Questions |
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- How do I get a quote on a custom costume?
Send us a picture, sketch, drawing, or movie still detailing out what costume you are looking to do. If you want us to design something, give us as many particulars as you can so we can come up with a design for you.
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- What quality are the costumes made?
Theatre, Cinema, or Professional Grade. Take your pick. Our costumes are made to look as much like the original or as realistic as possible. Therefore they are made to last and withstand the test of time as long as they are cared for properly.
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- What budget should I set for a custom costume?
Most custom costumes will range between $250-$350 for standard characters, $500-$1200 for elaborate gowns or costumes with detail work, and above $1,200 for complex and high labor costumes. Suits of armor and highly complex costumes consisting of many pieces of molded metals or casted plastics will run between $4,000 and $6,000.
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- How do I know a costume will fit me?
Each contracted costume is tailored according to your measurements for the perfect fit. We will let you know at time of order what measurements we will need to fit your costume.
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- Who makes the costumes?
Each costume is individually crafted by our team of expert seamstresses and designers within our custom design shop, located in Morgan Hill, CA.
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- Do I have to be local to order a costume?
No. We make and create costumes for customers nationwide and worldwide. Measurements can be sent through the email or mail, we can do phone consultations, and your final costume is shipped directly to your door no matter where you are located.
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- What happens if I do not like the costume, can I return it?
Custom costumes are one of a kind pieces and cannot be returned. If there is something you do not like about the final piece, it can usually be re-worked according to your liking. We can add additional support braces, or customize the fit more. We work off a 100% satisfaction guarantee and stand behind our work.
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- What are your peak seasons and how much notice should I give?
Peak seasons are March for mardi GRAS, October through December for Halloween and Christmas seasons. If you are ordering on or near those seasons you will need to order 3-4 months in advance of the holiday in order to ensure we can finish it on time. The best months to order fall in non peak seasons where you will have a faster lead time. After all we make costumes all year long for a variety of events, not just Halloween.
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- Can you do children's costumes?
Yes, we can do high-end children's costumes but be advised that same amount of labor goes into making costumes whether you are a size small or a size large, so expect that a children's costume price will be very close to an adult's costume. Material costs are not as much, since the sizes are smaller however labor costs do not change for cutting, detailing, and sewing.
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- Do you do special rates for theatrical productions?
Yes we do. Theatrical productions with multiple costumes qualify for volume discounts. We are able to work with most theatrical budgets from amateur to professional film to get you the most out of your budget.
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- Will you make costumes out of my own fabrics?
Yes we will absolutely. If you want us to finish a costume, repair one, or create one using your own fabrics we will. We will quote you for only labor to create your garment. Please note that if you do use your own material that we are not responsible for the quality of the fabric, longevity, or how it looks in your finished piece. Make sure if you are selecting your own fabric that you check for quality and that it matches properly.
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- Do you have a physical store I can visit?
Yes we do. Click on our "Contact us" page for addresses. Please note that only a limited amount of merchandise is on display at our store, thus the item you see online may not be on display. Our shop is combination sewing shop and showroom and unfortunately all items cannot be displayed there as a retail store.
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- Do you do in person meetings?
Yes we do. We prefer to do most consultations at our shop, but we can arrange consultations at your place of business as well. Due to security reasons, we no longer do in home consultations.
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- I have a sketch, photo, link etc, can you make something from that?
Yes we can. We have professional pattern makers and designs that can re-create items seen in photographs, photos, or drawings. It is important that you find as many images of your character as possible as it often takes multiple views for us to figure out the full patterning.
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- Can you send me samples of fabrics or can I buy fabrics from you?
View our swatch page to see all the fabrics available. We charge $2.00 a sample swatch for the material and we can certainly sell the fabrics we have available. Please note that we are not a fabric shop, and do not stock all material that we put available. Thus it may take a few days to order material in for you.
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- Do you do volume discounts?
Yes we do, please contact us for a quote. We have discounts for both wholesale accounts and for those buying multiple items. There are also discounts for corporate events and promotional-use costumes.
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- Can you send me a catalog?
Unfortunately we do not do a printed catalog, but we do have a brochure that outlines our services and has a few pictures of our work. Our catalog/portfolio is our website.
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- What is your return policy?
Please view our page "Policies" so you understand all of our terms.
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- So are you a costume store or shop?
No. What you will find from a costume shop and what you will find from us are two different things. We refer to costume shop articles as "costume in a bag" which is a term to describe a ready made costume made of nylon or rayon or extremely cheap fabrics. You get the jist of the character, but there is no detail and no fitting. We make custom costumes. They are made from luxury materials, made to fit, and given with incredible attention to detail. You will be furnished with a high end piece, not an overpriced costume in a bag. As well all accessory pieces stand to that same quality and are often sculpted or created by high-end craftsmen.
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- Where can I see your work?
Our online galleries are the best display of our work as it includes comprehensive customer commissioned projects and photos of work that we've done. Before a project is completed, it is professionally photographed on a mannequin to add to our portfolio and uploaded onto our website. Our shop has a limited display of pieces. As most of our work are for customers - once photographed they leave our shop and go into the closets of our customer's. However, we try to complete at least 1-2 display models to show off in our window and/or you can often see projects for customers as they are being produced. Arrange a formal consultation with us and we will be happy to show you examples of stitchwork, complex prop or jewelry making, etc. for your inspection and view.
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- Do you have different grades of details?
Yes. Costume likenesses can usually be made at different budgets depending on how close you want to get to the original, or on how complex your costume is. We usually start by quoting a basic, then a mid-grade, then an authentic reproduction. An authentic reproduction is the highest level and means we do a lot of research and analyzing to get all the details in as well ad do things like replicate period stitch work or do handsewing. Authentic reproductions are of the highest quality and are the most expenseive whereas a basic or mid-grade will be made out of high end materials but not have the degree of detail as an authentic reproduction.
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