Recommended Website:
The Costume Factory
Costumes are everywhere at this time of year, so I thought it might be fun to learn a little about how they are constructed. I was delighted to find this website where you can take a virtual tour of how promotional character costumes are made. Corporations spend big bucks to have their family-friendly characters on hand at sporting events, amusement parks, and other arenas to promote their product. I’m sure you’ve seen some of them including:
- Michelin’s Uniroyal Tiger
- The Kool-Aid Man
- Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog
When you get to the site, you’ll see a menu that includes:
- Factory — Click on this item to take a virtual tour of each step of the inflatable costume production including design and construction. Plus you’ll learn how performers fit into the costumes and discover how the costumes inflate – and whether or not they can be popped.
- Showroom — Watch a slide show of character costumes that The Costume Factory has produced. Watch a demonstration of how a performer gets into the costume.
You can also use the menu to learn about costume care and find out more about the company that makes them – including how to get a professional “quote” to have a costume constructed according to your specifications. (Big Bucks!)
Enjoy!
