Christmas Costumes

Posted on 29th November, 2014 by Adele

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Father Christmas Deluxe Costume

£84.00

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Elf Ladies Christmas Outfit

£33.60

Christmas Costumes

Do you belong to the “Tis the season to be jolly” brigade, who start planning their Christmas as early as possible?

Or, are you more like Scrooge with his “Bah! Humbug!” outlook on Christmas fun, where everything gets left until the last minute?

Whatever your viewpoint, here at Props & Frocks we can make your Christmas festivities exceptional.

If you want more than just the traditional Christmas costumes for nativity plays or local events (perhaps you are going to an ‘office’ party or need a novelty Christmas costume) take a look at the list on the left for other ideas & suggestions.

Traditional Christmas Costumes
We have a range of traditional costumes for the festive season, from a diverse selection of Mother Christmas Costumes and Miss Santa outfits to an assorted range of products for Santa’s other helpers. Needless to say, we also have Father Christmas suits for those wishing to emulate the Great Man himself.

Father Christmas – We both sell and hire Father Christmas outfits. Whatever your budget we have a costume for you. If you already have a purchased costume why not check out our range of Father Christmas accessories, such as wigs, beards, eyebrows, belts, white gloves, bell? The person chosen to represent Father Christmas may not necessarily have the required girth – in which case we have the answer – the Santa belly. There are even Father Christmas costumes for the small set.

Mother Christmas – Not everyone wants to go short and sassy at Christmas. Our range of Mother Christmas and Miss Christmas outfits, offer a more modest length and also have long sleeves and capes to keep you warm on those chilly winter days and evenings.

Miss Santa – The short and sassy Miss Santa is a popular look for those with an inclination for festive fun, and needless to say, there are a wide range of styles and designs available, both for hire and retail.

Elves – We have got some great fun Elf costumes in stock, for males and females, adults and children. For a more impressive look, we have a Mascot-style Elf for sale (although be mindful of the limited vision and enclosure factors). If you want to improvise your own costume, we also have a range of elf accessories such as ears, hats, kits, shoes (some with bells on) and even half red/half green tights.

Fairies – Fairies and Fairy Godmothers are integral to both Christmas and to several major pantomimes (another popular Christmas theme). As a general rule, with godmothers being a little ‘older’, their outfits tend to be more like ballgowns, rather than the tutu-based outfits found with the younger, flightier fairies. Although white and silver may be the traditional look, the essential wings and wands sets are available in a variety of colours. Our selection of tiaras may prove useful.

Victorian Carol Singers – For a more historical/classic look to your festivities, the Carol Singer concept can be popular. Admittedly it works best for a group, but at least, if the weather is seasonably cold, if you are outdoors, you are warmer than those who have chosen the skimpier options.

Nativity
When it comes to Nativity costumes, these are usually required for children rather than adults, although we have found ourselves occasionally providing some adult costumes such as Angels and Shepherds for the benefit of an office Christmas party or seasonal fund-raising event. See our main Nativity Section.

Pantomime Costume Ideas

Featured

Posted on 29th November, 2014 by Adele

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Sleeping Beauty Platinum Girls's Disney Costume

£33.60

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Pirate Treasure Map

£1.75

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2 Man Pantomime Horse Mascot Costume

£100.00

Pantomime Fancy Dress Theme Costume Ideas

A great option if you need to think of something quintessentially British! (oh no it isn’t, oh yes it is!)

Though there are different fairy tales, most pantomimes have various essential characters which feature in many, if not all performances. From the Panto Dame, where males relish the chance to dress up as females, with over the top bright, colourful ‘loud’ dresses, wigs, make-up and appropriate accessories such as jumbo eyelashes, to the Principal Boy, which is often played by a girl.

At Props & Frocks we have costumes for most pantomimes, including Snow White, Cinderella, Aladdin, Peter Pan, Dick Whittington, Jack and the Beanstalk & Sleeping Beauty. Not only do we stock the major characters, but we also have costumes and accessories for the chorus, from fairies, to villagers and everything in between. Take a look at our large range of Fairytale costumes, our hire costume stock will fill in any gaps.

Here are some Pantomime costume suggestions, but there are so many more, and there is something to suit all sizes and budgets.

Snow White - Other characters include; Wicked Queen (use a witch costume), Prince Charming, woodcutter and who can forget the seven dwarfs?
Little Red Riding Hood plenty of red riding hood costumes available to purchase, and why not go as a couple with our Granny Wolf costume, or a peasant costume for the woodcutter?
Cinderella a whole host of costumes available here from Ugly Sister costumes, Fairy Godmother & Prince Charming outfits and don’t forget poor Cinders and Cinderella ballgowns.
Aladdin also called Ali Baba & the Forty Thieves another fantastic story with a large range of characters to help you to choose your costume. Traditionally set in China but Disneys version is set in the Middle East. A lot of Pantomimes will merge the two areas. Aladdin, Widow Twanky, Jafar, the baddie, Jasmine (wear a belly dancer costume) and of course, the genie. There are also roles for a parrot and monkey.
Peter Pan Yet another great story, full of terrific characters that you can dress up as. Firstly, we have Peter Pan, a green Elf costume will suffice as will some Robin Hood costumes. Captain Hook, Peter Pan’s arch enemy. You will need to wear a pirate captain costume and of course, you must wear a hook. Smee, Hooks second in command. You will need to wear a standard pirate costume for this character (as played by Bob Hoskins). Wendy wears an old fashioned white nightgown and the lost boys wear medieval peasant style clothing. Green fairy costumes work well for Tinker Bell. Other characters include: Indians and mermaids.
Alice in Wonderland, choose from Alice herself, The Queen of Hearts, The Mad Hatter or the white Rabbit.
Beauty & the Beast. You may need to wear a werewolf mask to get the beast effect. Beauty (or Belle) wears a yellow Victorian style dress. A lot of the characters (Wardrobe, light, tea pot) can be quite difficult to put together unless you are very talented and artistic.
Puss in Boots. We stock a large range of cat masks and accessories as well as over boots, hats and swords. Other characters include the Millers son, a poor boy, the King & his daughter, the Princess.
Jack & the Beanstalk Jack and his mother wear peasant costumes. You may need a very tall friend to go as the giant. This pantomime often includes characters from kids nursery rhymes such as Jack & Jill.
Babes In The Wood often combined with Robin Hood. Tudor style costumes, although the Disney version includes Hansel & Gretel, and therefore more Bavarian style costumes.
Dick Whittington Main characters include:
Dick Whittington starts off very poor, our brown Robin Hood costume would be brilliant for this character
Cat kills the rats for The Sultan
King Rat the baddie
The Sultan
Pantomime Fairy
Fairy of The Bells
Ship Captain, his mate and some incompetent pirates
Robinson Crusoe following a ship wreck Robinson Crusoe finds himself on a remote desert island. Friday, is rescued from Cannibals. Pantomime versions often have Hawaiian based characters wearing grass skirts and flower garlands.
Sleeping Beauty Main Characters include:
The Princess Sleeping Beauty
King & Queen
3 good fairies
Wicked Fairy
Prince Charming
Treasure Island a chance to wear those Pirate costumes again
The Wizard of Oz
Dorothy
Tin Man
Scarecrow
Cowardly Lion
Glinda
Wicked Witch of The West

Nativity Costumes

Posted on 4th December, 2013 by Adele

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Shepherd Costume -Brown

£21.00

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Mary - Girls Costume Small

£21.00

Nativity Costumes

Although we do get asked for nativity costumes, and we do stock a ladies Mary Costume, and Arab costumes that would be ideal as shepherds, our Nativity range of outfits is based mainly around primary aged children.

The Nativity Play continues to be an essential part of Christmas for many children (and their parents). We can supply costumes for Mary, Joseph, the three Kings and other characters of the traditional Nativity including shepherds. We also stock a range of animal half-face masks (such as Donkeys and Cows) which are based on a headband format. As communities are becoming more multi-cultural, the baby Jesus might also receive some less traditional visitors and animals these days! Some schools may also attempt alternative styles of seasonal production (we did hear of one enterprising school, which aside from the traditional angels and shepherds, also had children dressing-up as stars and planets!). Subject to the CE regulations which cover children’s costumes, we are always willing to rise to the challenge – although the more warning we have, the better we may be able to help.

Nativity Costume Ideas

Angels – Angel outfits for adults and children (including an adult light-up angel). Accessory sets such as feather wings, wands and halo’s.
Shepherds – In the old, pre-Internet days, parents/schools used tea towels as improvised shepherds’ headgear. Times have moved on, and ‘instant shepherd’ kits can be found. Shepherd costumes based on Arab robes, (often striped) plus a ‘crook’ or ‘staff’ (some of which come in segments to be joined together) help to complete the look.
Mary – Traditionally Mary wears blue and white robes.
Joseph – Rather like the shepherds, any plain mid-eastern robes, plus a beard will probably suffice.
Wise Men//Three Kings costumes – Gaspar (or Casper), Melchior, and Balthasar Kings’ robes & crowns are available to purchase. Remember you might also need to find the ‘gifts’; gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Donkey costumes for both adults and children, plus various other stable animals, such as cows, sheep and even the odd camel.

Victorian Christmas Costumes

Posted on 30th November, 2013 by Adele

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Dickensian Gent Costume

£33.50

Victorian Christmas

Christmas in its modern form was started in the Victorian era. Consequently, there are many Christmas fairs which are based around the Victorian image of Christmas. Mulled wine, Christmas trees, carol singers, cards and presents were all aspects that were popularised during the Victorian period and still remain with us today.

One of the key writers during Queen Victoria’s reign was Charles Dickens. His works looked at different aspects of the social tiers of the time and one of his best known stories is A Christmas Carol. This tells the story of the miserly Scrooge, who within one night (Christmas Eve) is transformed into a totally different character, through the intervention of the ghosts of Christmas Past (his ex-partner Jacob Marley in chains), Present and Future.

When it comes to costumes, we have a fantastic selection of Dickensian and Victorian outfits for both adults and children, many of which are in our hire stock. These include Chimney Sweeps, Dickensian Urchins, Victorian School children, Scrooge himself, various nannies and maids. Plus costumes representing carol singers and the like.

If you already have something in your wardrobe that might be suitable, we also stock a number of accessories such as top hats, canes, moustaches, gloves, wigs, pantaloons, aprons and mop caps.

Novelty Christmas Costumes

Posted on 30th November, 2013 by Adele

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Christmas Pudding Novelty Costume

£29.40

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Reindeer Deluxe Mascot

£90.00

Novelty Christmas Costumes
For those wanting costumes that are a little bit different, why not check out our selection of Novelty costumes and accessories? Not only are these great for Christmas parties, but they can be equally useful for Christmas Fairs and other seasonal events, where one might be called upon to enter into the seasonal spirit.

Christmas Tree – Like many novelty costumes, most Christmas Tree costumes on the market are based on foam, but advances in LED Christmas light & battery technology enable you to go beyond the basic model and really light up the party. In addition, hang a few gifts wrapped in a soft wool/fabric material on your costume and you can make your presents felt!

Christmas Pudding – On the hire market you can find some well-constructed Xmas pudding costumes, usually based on a circular body-shape (tricky if it comes to sitting!) and a holly/white sauce headpiece. The more basic models may be flat-form foam based, but still good fun, and a novel idea!

Gingerbread Man – A character who has gained popularity following appearances in the Shrek movies, the Gingerbread Man outfit may be a popular festive choice.

Reindeer – Full mascot reindeer costumes are available, or accessorise with accessory kits or reindeer antlers.

Snowman – There are a selection of fun Snowman costumes and accessories available for both adults and children.

Donkey – Another great alternative novelty outfit is a Donkey costume, I mean how did Mary get to Jerusalem? Also, can be used for animal or Shrek themed costume events.

Turkey – As with the American thanksgiving in November, the Turkey has become a part of the traditional Christmas feast. We have a great fun novelty Turkey costume, which is also useful for those retailers wanting to promote their festive fare.

For a touch of originality (apart from others who read this), how about an outfit involving a frog in a Christmas hat – the MistleToad!

If you don’t want to go the whole hog and would just prefer to get into the Christmas spirit with accessories, why not check out our selection of Christmas Novelty Hats? These come in a range of styles, from the traditional standard red and white, through to mini ones on headband and include reindeers, Christmas Trees and even Santa stuck down a chimney.

Christmas Party Costumes

Posted on 30th November, 2013 by Adele

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Robin Hood Adult Costume

£31.80

Christmas Party Costumes
Christmas is also the season of the Office Party, but this annual event (highlight of the year for some) is evolving so much that some firms are finding it easier to hire in external expertise to assist with the seasonal celebrations. Some firms even have the ‘Christmas Party’ after Christmas because venues are cheaper and people’s social diaries are less full!

For the most part, these events may just involve getting out the glad (or glam) rags, so costuming may not be involved, aside from novelty accessories such as flashing ties or earrings. On the other hand, for men, there are some interesting suits based on the ‘traditional Christmas jumper’ concept recently on the market or for the joker in the pack, there is always the Xmas version of the morphsuit, and for the more daring the mankini or sexy boxer shorts – perhaps not to be recommended on a cold winter’s day or night!

However, the party might involve a themed event in the workplace itself, or going ‘off-site’ to a purpose-built all-in-one venue. If the firm is supplying themed entertainment, you might want to enter into the spirit of the occasion with costumes from ourselves – we have experience in corporate costume hire (and the testimonials to prove it) and will be pleased to help. Whether you are an organiser or party participant – just contact us here at Props and Frocks.

During the party season, females often want something a little more fun and flirty, and aside from the selection of costumes in our Sexy Selection, which range from Pirates and Policewomen to Brides and Bumble Bees, we have a diverse range of fairies with which to weave some seasonal magic. Alternatively, if you have got a favourite party outfit or ‘signature costume’ and just want to ‘accessorise’, there are wings, halos, wigs, wands and almost anything else you might need to create the right look.

Fairy Tale & Pantomime
Fairy tale and Pantomime characters are very much part of the Festive Season and so you might choose to dress up as one of these. We have a great selection of pantomime costumes for your to choose from, but as a general overview, the emphasis is on over-the-top and colourful. There is also an opportunity for some cross-dressing!
We have Snow White costumes in a selection of styles, or, this being a season where a girl can be glamorous given the right opportunity (and location), a Cinderella ball-gown can create quite an impression (and it doesn’t have to be returned by midnight). For those wishing to complement this Belle of the Ball, we have a selection of Prince Charming Georgian-style outfits, or if your ambitions lie with a different Belle, the heroine of Beauty and the Beast, we can provide this costume as well. Check out our Pantomime Costume Ideas for a wider range of fairy tale and pantomime costume ideas

Of course if you are actually involved with a drama group putting on a pantomime over the Christmas period, you may also require other characters aside from those already mentioned. We have a lot of experience helping kit out various productions. Aside from the leading characters, including the Pantomime Dame, one of the more popular requests we receive is for the Pantomime cow. The two-person cow may not be practical for parties (although that does not stop some people), but it’s a must-have costume for many of the seasonal productions.