Do you style wigs?
I’m not sure why people are under the impression that I don’t. I will happily style a wig for you, at the same rate per hour ($10) as my costume commissions.
I’m a crossplayer, can you make me a costume?
As long as you provide me with accurate measurements as well as information on whether your will be padding/binding, I can make a costume suitable for either gender.
Why are your prices so high? I can get a costume off of ebay for less than $100.
In reality, my charge per hour is much less than most seamstresses. Even so, I won’t work for less than a living wage. I also use quality materials and don’t use the ultra-cheap fabrics unless I am requested to do so.
In regards to ebay costumes, you get what you pay for. Sometimes you can get a great deal on a decently made costume. Sometimes you’ll get a poorly made costume out of cheap materials that take months to be shipped from China.
My budget is really small, what can I do to negotiate a lower price?
I will not budge on my charge per hour, but there are some ways to negotiate a lower price.
1. First off, let me know what your budget is so I can start coming up with ideas.
2. The materials fee is variable. You can request broadcloth cotton instead of the materials I would normally use, request that I don’t line an item, etc.
3. You can ask for different techniques to be used. Instead of having me embroider a border, you can request puff paints instead, which is faster. Instead of making an under-kimono or dress, I can use padded hems or panels to create the illusion without doing all the work.
4. You can ask for me to skip some details. If something is quilted in a reference image but it doesn’t matter to you, I can skip that detail and lower the amount of man hours needed for the costume. The same goes for embroidery, beading, and other time consuming work.
Why can’t you make *ridiculously complex costume* in two weeks?
I get a lot of requests for costumes with lots and lots of detail to be done in a matter of a few weeks. Please understand that not only do these costumes take a lot of time to complete, but I often have to order specialty materials online which take a week or two to be delivered. If I have time in my schedule for a rush costume, I will do it, but you will pay the rush fee.
A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine. Please start the commission process at least 2 months before you need your costume and even earlier if the costume is particularly complex.
Why don’t you have ‘ready-made’ costumes?
I prefer to make quality, well-fitting costumes rather than ‘off the rack’ costumes. On occasion I will sell a completed costume that another customer defaulted on or a used costume that I no longer need, but this site will never become a costume warehouse.
