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This has always been a good place to toss around ideas.

Since I've returned to being a full time home maker, I've had lots of time to throw into one of my favorite hobbies: sewing.

Particularly, I love costuming. Since the beginning of the year, I've been prototyping lots of different costumes in the hope that next year I'll be able to develop a website and sell them. The idea is that customers will also be able to choose if they want a small amount of their sale proceeds to go to charity (I'll have four or five to choose from).

Most of what I've made is Halloween orientated, but I've also made vintage/retro (from original and re-issue patterns). I think that there might be a market for tropical wear: shirts, tops, skirts, dresses... I would hope to offer garments that are unique and better quality than off the rack.

So here's the question: would you buy custom costumes, vintage or tropical clothing from a website?

I love that this is something that I can do from home. I just purchased a very high end Husqvarna sewing machine to help give my clothes a more polished and professional finish.

Thanks!

Here are a few examples of what I've made. For my website, I'll need better photography, but this gives an idea of my work.


Pirate:






Retro re-issue from a 1952 original:



Medieval Gown:



Vampiress:



Gothic:



18th Century Gown:



Little Jedi Knight:

I would, except I already have a wife that makes everything.

oh.....I love the little vintage inspired sundress....very Jackie O!!

We buy and rent quite a few costumes every year for Victoria's acting stuff, often over the Internet.


You might also see if you can work with some local schools to provide the costumes for their productions as well. Same with some community colleges--you might be able to help them supplement their costume needs.

buffettbride wrote:We buy and rent quite a few "costumes" every year from Victoria's Secret, often over the Internet.

Fixed it for ya, Mal.

You might want to talk to Sy who does similar work, although with a different focus. She has a website and sells online I believe.

CaptainP wrote:

buffettbride wrote:We buy and rent quite a few "costumes" every year from Victoria's Secret, often over the Internet.

Fixed it for ya, Mal.

Sadly, my boobies don't fit in anything sold at Victoria's Secret.

Nice work!
My mum had that 1952 model--I may even have the pattern somewhere!

Very pretty ! I buy vintage Hawaiian shirts on eBay. The prints are so weirdly COOL !!

ok i don't want to think that VS rents out their clothing. Putting bad images in my brain.

inbound PM

By the pictures, your designs seem to be a little complex and well made. It looks like they would take a lot of time to make. and you would have to charge a good bit for them. I think there is a market for costumes but your prices would have to be competitive with the seasonal shops that show up in the malls and the sellers that are already on eBay.

Thanks so much for all of the feedback and nice comments!

This has been a hobby which I love and I've frequently been told that I could sell my stuff, so I'm exploring that.

I'm sure that there is some niche in the market that I can carve out, even if it's not on a large scale.

Any and all feedback is very helpful!

Thanks again!