Sales associate Karyn Hart displays a variety of costumes and masks at Costumes to Suit Your Fancy, located at 523 E. Third Street. The store caters to Halloween shoppers, and will be open every day through Halloween from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sales associate Karyn Hart displays a variety of costumes and masks at Costumes to Suit Your Fancy, located at 523 E. Third Street. The store caters to Halloween shoppers, and will be open every day through Halloween from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
There’s a new “fright shop” in town. Halloween is less than a week away and community members can find a wide variety of costumes, masks and all types of accessories in one convenient location.
For the second year, Costumes to Suit Your Fancy is located in the old Griffith Motors building at 523 E. Third Street. The temporary business not only makes Halloween shopping more convenient, but provides more costuming options.
“We really enjoy being here for the community,” said sales associate Karyn Hart. “It’s a lot of fun dressing people up and seeing what their alter egos are.”
The shop opened Oct. 7, and will be in full swing through Halloween, operating seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The store will remain open through the first week of November for the return of rentals.
Joan Chantler, owner of the business, said having a Halloween store is a passion of hers.
“It is something I love doing,” she said.
Chantler, who lives in White Salmon, Wash., previously operated a Halloween store in Hood River; but with higher rents and less availability, she eventually sought space in The Dalles.
She had a costume shop at Klindt’s Annex for a couple years, but then changes downtown forced her to look for a new site.
“Last year, I was seriously wondering if we were going to have to sit out a year — a very bad idea for continuity — when David Griffith agreed to rent us the old Griffith Motors building,” Chantler explained. “He favors renting to community or service groups, and we do provide a service. The people of The Dalles have been so appreciative of having the store, and most seem to realize that it is a labor of love, rather than a sane business venture.”
Chantler said she got started in the costume business almost by accident.
“I had a business, Mountain Sewn, making outdoor gear,” she explained. “A friend, Bev Bridgewater, convinced me to use my design skills in creating costumes. Malificent, the evil one from ‘Sleeping Beauty,’ was my first, and she was a marvelous challenge. I loved the way her horns twisted in such a delightfully sinister way, and she moved as though she floated on air.”
The employees appear to get as much enjoyment working in the store as shoppers do when they come in to try things on.
“It’s fun,” said Hart. “The hardest part is wanting to try everything on.”
She said the store gets a mix of customers; people of all ages who are looking for the costume to reflect their inner demon, saint and everything in between.
“We get all kinds of people,” she said. “From parents with their kids to couples going to the Exotic/Erotic Ball in Portland and looking for unique costumes. Some people just want to dress up for trick or treating. Bars have Halloween events, and the schools have different parties. My daughter is in middle school, and she is dressing up for ‘Superheroes Day’ at the school.”
Hart added that she appreciates the community’s support of the store.
“They’ll come here before going to the big stores, which is nice,” she said.
Chantler agreed.
“The people of The Dalles have been great. They come in and express their delight and appreciation,” she said. “It’s what keeps me going.”
Chantler added that, along with the big corporate chains, online businesses are also a big competitor. But she knows her business has something to offer that online stores can’t.
“Like independent bookstores, it just keeps getting harder to do this,” she explained. “Online is a big competition now, but you can’t try on a lot of different options, touch the fabric, and see how it looks on you.”
Chantler hopes to be back at her Third Street location again for next year’s Halloween season, but the building is currently for sale, so plans for 2018 are up in the air.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.