Thinking of buying a costume for your next party? Read this first!

Can You Rent a Costume Instead of Buying One? (And Is It Actually Better?)

If you’ve been invited to a themed party and your first thought is
“I have absolutely nothing to wear” – you are not alone.

1. Can You Rent a Costume Instead of Buying One?

Short answer?
Yes absolutely. And not just full costumes either.

Our in-store offering includes:

Full costume hire.
Individual clothing pieces to add to your own clothes (starting from $11 to hire).
Accessories to finish off your look.
And costumes to purchase if that’s what suits you better.

From clear visions of what you are looking for, to vague theme suggestions, we can definitely help.
Pulling options together – mixing, matching & putting together different costume variations is our favourite part of the job.

It’s surprising what’s possible when you’re not limited to what comes in a packet.

A white and blue fur-trimmed Snow Queen cape transforms into a fabulous Liberace moment.
A lace-up corset belt can instantly modernise a traditional character costume.
A fringed vest, headband and peace sign worn with own clothes can become a perfect hippie outfit.

And if you’d rather explore and build your own look? Go for it. We like to think of our store as clean, organised, fun, creative chaos — and you’re very welcome to jump right in.

2. How Much Does Costume Rental Usually Cost?

Most people expect costume hire to be expensive.

It’s usually the opposite.

Full costumes start from $40
Most hires fall between $40–$100
Individual items start from $11

So whether you want something simple or a full transformation, there’s usually something to suit your budget.

Hire periods are designed to be practical:

Weekend hire with collection on Thursday, Friday or Saturday (perfect for most parties).
2–3 day midweek hire.
Or you can extend your hire period with only partial extra rates.

We also take a refundable security bond, which is returned when everything comes back in good order. We are not just hiring you the same stuff you can get in a packet.

Many of our costumes are:

Made from fabrics you can’t get anymore.
Original vintage.
Made from pieces that are no longer available.
And many of them have been professionally hand made by us.

The bond doesn’t cover replacement (not even close).
It’s simply a gentle nudge to make sure these pieces come back so the next person can enjoy them too.

3. Is it Cheaper to Rent or Buy a Fancy Dress Costume?

This is where things get interesting.

At first glance, buying – especially online – can look cheaper, but here’s what we see every week when comparing the options.

Buying a costume:

Often worn once
Quality can be unpredictable
What arrives doesn’t always match the photo
Ends up sitting in a cupboard (or worse… in landfill)

Hiring a costume:

You get better quality for the same (or similar) price
You only pay for the time you need it
No storage afterwards
And you can go far more creative

Our hire costumes are made to last. They have to be — they’re cleaned and worn again and again.

That means:

Better fabrics
Better fit
Real clothing elements (not printed-on belts or squashed hats)
And overall, a much better look on real people

Let’s Talk About Online or Packet Costumes (Honestly)

There’s 100% a place for them, that’s why we stock them. Maybe you are a teacher who is planning on wearing the same costume for Book week each year or you don’t live near by and can’t figure out how to get it back to us.

If you’re heading to a particularly wild night out and you’re not confident anything will survive… buying might be the safer option.

We offer both hire and purchase, the choice is entirely yours and there are many reasons why you may choose to do either.

But here’s what many people don’t realise:

Some online costumes are:

The same price or more than hiring
And still not great quality

To get something that looks realistic, fits or doesn’t fall apart on the first wear, you often need to spend more than expected. Even then, what arrives doesn’t always match the picture. We literally hear the story every week about something not being what they thought they were getting when it turned up.

We are quite particular about what we sell in-store, and of course we let you try things on. How else will you know if it fits?
In most cases, we initially order one of a costume just to see if we are happy to stock it – seeing something IRL is often the only way to know what you’re actually getting.

The Part No One Expects: It’s Actually Fun

This is the bit that surprises people.

Customers often walk in feeling unsure, uninspired or even slightly reluctant about dressing up.

And then the magic happens!

They start trying things on.
Exploring different possibilities.
Then they realise how good they can actually look.

It’s not uncommon for someone to say:
“Now I want to host my own dress-up party.”

That transformation – from hesitant to excited – is our favourite part.

A Better Option (For You and the Planet)

Hiring also has a practical upside, we take of the cleaning and you’re not storing stuff you will never wear.

Choosing to hire means:

Less waste
More reuse
And making the most of costumes that are designed to last

We’ve all seen the impact of single-use fashion and many of us are looking for more sustainable options. If you can hire instead, it’s a small choice that makes a big difference.