Today, we look at the range of Beehive wigs that are available as we were mentioning Dusty Springfield and her distinctive beehive hairstyle yesterday. The style is key to the look and yet it is not one that is easily achieved, even if you have the time, expertise and, of course, hair. Wigs are the obvious way forward, but more than most, it is vitally important that your towering tresses stay anchored, so in addition to the wig itself, ensure that you have a good wig cap available for anchorage. That said, the beehive offers so many options, helping with everything from your Hepburn Holly Golightly (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) impression, to the exaggerated bouffants seen in ‘Hairspray’ and other 1950s/1960s-based musicals. There are even horror references, with both, Elvira, Mistress of Darkness and The Bride of Frankenstein being big beehive fans.
Most costumes that require a beehive wig also tend to need big eyelashes to help to complete, Props & Frocks stock a wide range of false eyelashes in all sort of colours
We recommend that beehive wigs are stored on a polystyrene head to help them to keep their shape.
Props & Frocks stocks a huge range of fancy dress hats and it makes an easy fancy dress theme for your next party. Most of the costume hats are relatively cheap, so even in these restricted economic times everyone should be able to participate. One piece of advice we would give, is to always make sure you have a few spare hats, for those guests who ‘forgot’ it was a theme!
Most hats are made for a standard adult sized head. Need to make the hat smaller? Add a little draught excluder to the inside rim until you get the required fit.
Costume hats tend to come in the following materials (although some hats will be mix of two):
Fabric (such as the Australian hat seen in the image)
Velour – this is normally robust and a little thicker in appearance
Felt – this gives a good finish but will be ruined if it gets wet
Satin – this is a felt hat covered with a satin look
Plastic – this is our cheapest type of hat, ideal for kids
Flock, this is similar to plastic but has a coating on the outside to make it look more realistic
Rubber – very durable, ideal for children
Straw – generally cheap and are ideal for Caribbean hats
PVC – used for some caps
Wool Felt – top quality hat, hire quality
So it’s Friday 13th, but hopefully that’s not a problem and to end the working week (for some) we’ll continue with the topic we started yesterday – clothing control. Last time we spoke of laws designed to tell you what not to wear, but there was a flipside to the rules which actually made it obligatory to wear certain items and not necessarily the obvious stuff. For example, when cap manufacturers were suffering a bit of a downturn in demand, there was a Statute of 1571 which required everyone to wear caps instead of hats. To add to the fun, in a period of history much affected by religious division, certain groups, notably Puritans, objected to this law and were therefore fined for flouting the rules.
In these more liberal days, there are rarely occasions upon which anyone is forced to wear anything (except, perhaps uniforms). Nonetheless, although obtaining a Props & Frocks costume for hire or sale does require some financial outlay, we like to think that the quality of our costumes plus the added value of personal service makes the cost well worthwhile.
Not so long ago we only sold masquerade masks for New Year Eve’s events, but now they sell all year round. Now, this may be because we do not get many opportunities now to really dress up, with most dress codes being ‘smart casual’ so it makes a nice change to have a glamorous evening.
There is a huge range of eyemasks to choose from, from really extravagant feathered masks, to more simple eye masks, and even ones that you can decorate yourself to get a totally unique look.
A stick that is secured to one side of the mask, you hold the mask up in front of your face
Elastic, that secures around the back of your head (and tend to be the cheaper ones)
Headband. The headband masks give you the chance to wear the mask on your face, but also to lift it up higher inorder to eat and drink.
As the majority of our masquerade masks are really good value for money, it may also be this that is keeping this fancy dress trend growing more and more popular.
Today in 1976 saw the first Apple computer, but far from the sleek Macs and iPods/iPads of today which are its successors, this was a self-assembly do-it-yourself creation which nonetheless sold exceptionally well. Although it is still theoretically possible to build your own computer (or at least customise its component elements to suit your needs), most people do not have the time and/or enthusiasm and much the same can be said when it comes to costumes. Whether you choose to hire or buy a costume is very much up to you (Are you likely to wear it again? Do you want the hassle of taking it back? Do you want a costume that reflects your personality? Do you want to be someone totally different?)). When it comes to choices, these questions are part and parcel (literally) of our business. If you are not in the local area, you can always take advantage of our mailing service.
During these poor economic times, you may decide that going for an all out fancy dress party may be pushing your guests too far, so why not have a Fantastic Hair Fancy Dress Night?
You get all the benefits of a fancy dress night including:
Laughing all night long
Guests chatting to people they do not know, a great way to break down barriers
Fantastic pictures & memories
Your guests can choose to just do something nutty with their own hair with one of the many products available to create weird shape, add colour with our brilliant coloured hair sprays (not to be used on coloured or treated hair), or why not wear one of our fancy dress wigs?
Our costume wigs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes from spiky punk wigs, hippy wigs and glamorous ladies wigs.
Most fancy dress wigs will be made from nylon, although this is done for cheapness it does mean that you are unable to use any heat to style it, as it will melt.
We recommend that fancy dress wigs are washed in warm water with a drop of fabric conditioner, rinsed and allowed to air dry. Try and store on a polystyrene head to keep the shape. Never brush a nylon wig as it will cause the hair to frizz.
Today in1863 saw the birth of the co-creator of arguably the most famous of luxury cars – Henry Royce of Rolls-Royce fame. Within our own field of costuming, there are many who have given their names to items of apparel and therefore live on in curious ways: Items such as the Wellington boot and the high Pompadour wig-hairstyle are obvious, but others seem to have made their mark just by doing something original (or eccentric). For example, the 17th century painter Van Dyck with his beard-style or Lily Langtry (also known as ‘Jersey Lily’) whose skin-tight dresses in a material which became known as ‘jersey’ predated lycra and spandex by almost one hundred years. For those who have wondered why a red huntsman’s jacket is known as ‘Hunting Pink’ it was because the tailor who helped popularise it was a Mr Pinkie. Even some authors have managed to create a name for themselves in fashions: JM Barrie, aside from apparently ‘inventing’ the forename Wendy, created a distinctive collar style, named after Peter Pan, American author Washington Irving gave the name knickerbockers to breeches with baggy knees (as opposed to pantaloons which came from an Italian panto character), and the Scots poet Robert Burns described a distinctive hat, named after the hero of his novel ‘Tam o’Shanter’.
For those who do not want to go to the expense of a full fancy dress outfit or are on a low budget, here at Props and Frocks we have a range of suitable accessories for you to choose from. Our fantastic array of fancy dress wigs in different colours and styles are particularly popular for those running as a group. Although we have a wide assortment of wigs in different styles, those that tend to be purchased most are the curly pop wigs, which are available in a range of funky colours. Some groups may choose to team wigs with matching tutus, wands and fairy wings, whilst others will look at adopting a wig and funny glasses approach. If your aim is not to be recognised, why not have a look at our selection of quality card masks, based on famous people? The Royal Family masks are by far our most popular set at present, although the new TOWIE masks that were launched last month are being much requested. Whatever your requirements or ideas come and have a look at how we can help. Don’t forget we also offer an online service for those not based in Essex.
Don’t forget to check out our range of sale items, you can get lots of cheap fancy dress items at brilliant prices
Around this time of Carnival, we always see an increase in the amount of masquerade eye masks that we sell. Props & Frocks has one of the largest product ranges available for these brilliant masks, & we keep good stocks all year round.
Hosting a masked ball, is not only very elegant, but in these cash strapped times, you may be surprised how reasonable these eyemasks actually are. Maybe that is why we have seen an increase in their popularity? We stock some lovely feathered masks, & a great range for the men, from very simple plain masks, right up to an elaborate Venetian harlequin to suit all budgets. You can also decide whether you want an eyemask on a stick, or have them secured with elastic, or a headband. If you read the mask’s description it will advise which method each mask uses, there are pro’s and con’s to each, and it is really down to your personal preference.
We started off this week talking about circus and this time next week, February 26th, another circus comes to town (or rather to Los Angeles) with the 84th Oscar ceremony. As with the BAFTAs last week the media interest will of course be focusing on what the celebs are wearing, with a side order of who won what and which film won the most. Whether this year’s Oscars ceremony will be slightly overshadowed by the fact it is being held once again at the Kodak Theatre (Kodak of course having filed for bankruptcy earlier in the year, but been given a 18 month reprieve to undergo transformation, and in the latest news, it seems they may be trying to get out of this to save some money) remains to be seen.
Here at Props & Frocks we deal with transformation every day of the week (including Sundays) and we take an interest in what’s going on in the world of film, TV and other aspects of the leisure industry, as you never know what ‘look’ is going to catch on, and what will be the next ‘big thing’. The interesting challenge for us is that we always have to expect the unexpected. A week or so ago, we mentioned the increase in the number of animation films over recent years and the costumes available. With both Puss in Boots and Kung Fu Panda amongst the Best Animated Feature nominations for the 2012 Oscars, we think variations on these animals could be one of the big things for 2012.
We advocate a Masquerade, or carnival themed fancy dress event as today in 1803, the Louisiana Purchase was completed in New Orleans. This is nothing to do with Christmas shopping, but the agreement under which France sold its rights to certain territories in North America. The name suggests that this was just about Louisiana, but in fact the transaction took in all or part of what are now fifteen American states and a couple of parts of Canada – the ‘United States’ virtually doubled in size overnight! Nonetheless, New Orleans was central to the deal in more ways than one, and the city still retains evidence of its French roots as well as being regarded as the birth-place of Jazz: Its unique style of ‘Dixieland’ jazz derives from ‘the Land of the Dix’, the nickname for the French ten dollar bill. New Orleans is also known for its celebrations of carnival and Mardi Gras. The post-Christmas period marks the start of preparations for the carnivals to come, so why not make masked carnival the basis of some festive or New Year celebrations?
We stock a vast range of masks for a masked ball suitable for men and women. The actual theme if ‘carnival’ is open to your own interpretation. On the continent, Carnival is celebrated by wearing any fancy dress costume you could think of, and when you think of all the costumes people wear for a traditional carnival procession in the UK, the costume choice is dependant on the theme of each individual float. So unless you want to go out wearing little more than a glitzy swimming costume with plumes of feathers, you can choose anything bright and colourful for this costume theme – we are sorry we cannot be more specific for this one!
distinctive beehive hairstyle yesterday. The style is key to the look and yet it is not one that is easily achieved, even if you have the time, expertise and, of course, hair. Wigs are the obvious way forward, but more than most, it is vitally important that your towering tresses stay anchored, so in addition to the wig itself, ensure that you have a good wig cap available for anchorage. That said, the beehive offers so many options, helping with everything from your Hepburn Holly Golightly (Breakfast at Tiffany’s) impression, to the exaggerated bouffants seen in ‘Hairspray’ and other 1950s/1960s-based musicals. There are even horror references, with both, Elvira, Mistress of Darkness and The Bride of Frankenstein being big beehive fans.
