Halloween has arrived at Los Altos’ Costume Bank, the nonprofit enterprise that suits up cosplayers and trick-or-treaters alike – for a cause.
In addition to rental and for-sale costumes, towering displays of wigs, masks and accessories ranging from false teeth to face paint fill the store. Volunteers act as personal shoppers, helping hunt through the thousands of costumes for the right size, concept or combination. Even demoralized minimalists can find a source of solace – volunteer Katie Hammerson said she has helped the costume-averse cobble together a “bare minimum” outfit to fulfill the demands of an event.
“Capes – for those who hate dressing, and want the simplest thing,” she advised. With a pair of black leggings underneath, she told a recent patron that a cape with a rhinestone clasp would more or less do the trick. “She bought a beautiful witch hat and she was done.”
Earlier in the year Hammerson said customers keep them busy with requests for weddings and theme parties, including a “Gold Rush” wedding held in Coloma, and Summer of Love and “Clue” parties held closer to home.
Halloween shoppers had kicked into gear by last week, as one shopper hired costumes in bulk for an office party, others browsed flapper outfits and a boy tried on a plush full-bodied horse suit.
The Costume Bank will be open every day until Halloween, and all costumes acquired this month will have the usual one-week rental period extended to Nov. 4.
The Costume Bank is owned and operated by the Assistance League of Los Altos, an all-volunteer organization, and Halloween rentals provide the bulk of fundraising for Assistance League projects. More than 95 percent of proceeds fund community programs ranging from a family support home at Stanford Hospital to school supplies for foster children and other students in need and “Hug-a-Bear,” providing furry companions to children in crisis.
SKILLED SEAMSTRESSES
Volunteers have been renting and selling costumes at the Costume Bank for more than 40 years, and though the number of skilled seamstresses among their ranks has diminished, the role is not yet extinguished. Peek into a back room when you visit, and you may spot a volunteer like Sarah Smigelski making new “Game of Thrones” costumes or fixing the trim on a historical uniform.
Smigelski crafted a green brocade gown under a fur-lined black cape that evokes latter-season Sansa Stark, available to rent for the month for $60, and she is also the seamstress behind the blue-tiered cupcake of a dress Marie Antoinette wears in the window of the shop. She’s sewn a matching Louis XVI, as well as the Costume Bank’s hefty Henry VIII.
“This is Henry’s wife – whichever one you want it to be,” Smigelski said of a gold-inflected ensemble conjuring a literal “Greensleeves.”
She repairs and reimagines in the Costume Bank’s backroom, working with the hoards of buttons and ribbon accrued over time to re-create period pieces including, last week, a British admiral’s jacket that looked almost ready to bring a “Hamilton” aesthetic to the costume racks.
“In the past, the ladies were very frugal – they saved everything,” Smigelski said of the volunteers who preceded her. “They bought bushels at a time when fabric stores went out of business. I’m working my way through it.”
The Costume Bank is seeking new volunteers who want to dress people, help sew or work on projects. Donated costumes are also welcomed come November. Adult hand-me-downs often join the costumes available for rent, and kids costumes are generally resold, with profits supporting the Assistance League’s causes.
The Costume Bank has extended its hours to noon to 7 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 4. It’s located at 169 State St., Los Altos.
