North Texas Daily

Andrea Czobor | Staff Writer

@andreaczobor

Over half of the inventory at the Rose Costumes’ annual Sidewalk Sale had been wiped off the racks before lunchtime Saturday afternoon. It was little surprise the event, confirmed on Facebook by over 1,600 users, was such a hit.

“We always come to the Sidewalk Sale to pick up little things for dress-up and costumes for Halloween,” UNT Graduate student and parent Gabrielle Watson said.

Funds from the Sidewalk Sale will go toward making costumes for the store’s current major theatrical production, The Lion King.

“The sale also helps us retire old costumes in order to continue refreshing our racks with interesting one-of-a-kind rentals,” Rose Costumes’ manager Ann Marie Aldrich said.

With more than 5,000 costumes in the store, the whimsical experience continues in the iconically-styled dressing rooms. Staff members are nearby to assist in building an outfit as worthy as its wearer.

Customers looking for makeup and hair can visit Emerald City, home to a plethora of prosthesis, eye shadow, wigs and more.

“We’ve come from Oklahoma just for the variety,” couple Corbin Dawson and Skylar Gatlin said. “They have everything you would want.”

Judy Smith, owner, chief creatologist and imagineer of the event, said she wanted to bring the elaborate costume supply to life.

Rose Costumes owner Judy Smith poses for a photo in her office with her signature hat. Meagan Sullivan | Senior Staff Photographer

“A majority of the costumes are handmade, my absolute favorite being the Mad Hatter costume I stitched, stained and painted many summers ago,” she said.

Smith recently decided to reinvent the company entirely, focusing on costumes and doing retail theatre. But those who recall Secondhand Rose from 1976 still continue to make trips to Rose Costumes nearly 40 years later.

“I’ve been a returning customer since it was in downtown,” UNT alumnus John Lockheart said. “Today I am looking for cocktail party attire.”

Smith is out searching garage sales every Saturday, buying fabric and trim to fill her workshop at home.

The Sherwood Forest setup (Robin Hood) is complete with a replica of the Iron Throne. Meagan Sullivan | Senior Staff Photographer

“If it is not decorated or embellished, something is wrong,” Smith said.

From the moment customers walk in, they are hit with wall-to-wall sights. Racks of fictional costume meld into hundreds of iconic pieces from periods of history. Nostalgia often sends customers back to their favorite childhood stories and movies.

“We love giving tours,” Smith said. “A tour allows customers to sink it all in, sending them into the magical world that is Rose Costumes.”

Smith has seen her costumes live countless lives and travel around the world. Some have gone as far as The Palace of Versailles in France.

Distressed and worn are the pieces within Sweeney Todd’s barber shop and Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop, picked up by theater productions and Halloween lovers alike. In these exhibits, Smith and carpenter Mark Hildabom took the décor and detailing to the max, from blood stains and shattered windows, to the worn barber’s chair.

The barber shop from Sweeney Todd is among the elaborate decorations of Rose Costume. Meagan Sullivan | Senior Staff Photographer

“You are allowed to be as unique and creative as you’d like,” assistant manager Daniel Bernardo said.

Three-day rental prices for the one-of-a-kind costumes range between $55 to $125. In addition to repairs and alterations, each costume is dry-cleaned or washed after its return.

“You know you are getting a quality product that will be sure to impress your friends,” costume contest winner and Denton resident Stephen Linneman said.

Rose Costumes will be extending their hours for the Halloween season this October, and are currently looking for temporary Halloween help.

“We are about to hit the busiest two months of the year,” Aldrich said, “but there is a certain rush about the chaos that we thrive on.”

The bathroom of Rose Costume takes you into the world of Sherlock Holmes- at 221 Baker St. Meagan Sullivan | Senior Staff Photographer

The business started on Fry Street, relocated to Elm Street, and is currently located off of Exit 470 on I-35N at Stonehill Center. Rose Costumes is constantly evolving and continues to be a must-see tourist attraction and local landmark.

“It’s an all-encompassing experience: the music, décor, customer service,” Aldrich said. “We hope when people leave the store that they won’t forget it.”

Featured Image: A sign outside Sweeney Todd’s barber shop reminds customers not to leave the store without a costume. Meagan Sullivan | Senior Staff Photographer