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Are you rushing to cobble together a costume for next week’s Halloween party? Whether you need to find an entire costume or just need to add the finishing touch to your outfit, look no further than The Garment District, a Cambridge Halloween hotspot with two floors full of costumes and accessories. The store carries an array of ready-to-wear costumes, ranging from Grecian goddess outfits to pirate get-ups to flapper dresses. Customers on a budget can check out the Garment District’s second floor, where the store sells a variety of vintage clothes that can be paired together to make a retro Halloween costume.
“We have a bunch of used clothing that we have in a big costume room, which is mix and match,” Garment District assistant manager Ryan Olenick said. “You can make something from the 50s to Space Age stuff.” Olenick said he encourages customers who ask for his advice to put together their own costumes. “I say make your own for the most part, because it’s more fun that way,” he said. “You won’t be walking down Comm. Ave. [in Boston] wearing the same thing as a girl 15 feet away from you.”
Costume rentals are available through Boston Costume, located within the first floor. The selections are pricier, but more elaborate, and customers can even choose to rent matching his-and-her costumes, such as the Cinderella and Prince Charming set or the medieval Romeo and Juliet ensemble. Boston Costume has 5,000 costumes available for rental, manager Terry Anderson said. “They go anywhere from Roman and Egyptian to mascot type ones, like grizzly bears and lions,” Anderson said, noting the rentals range in price from $45 to $175, with an average cost of $95.
This year, the store took its first Halloween rental order in February and probably will take its last the day after Halloween for parties being held on Sunday, he said. This year, the most popular rental choices have been storm trooper, Batman and grizzly bear costumes, he said. Because it is late in the Halloween season, Anderson urged costume seekers to keep their options open.
“The easiest thing is to come in with a couple of ideas, not just one set idea,” he said. “If you can leave your field open a little bit, you’re going to have a much better time and not stress in the crowds.”
Be prepared to encounter crowds during the week leading up to Halloween — The Garment District does double to triple its usual business in October, said Olenick, the assistant manager. The store is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to midnight on Saturday through Oct. 31. The Garment District is located at 200 Broadway, four blocks from the Kendall-MIT T stop on the Red Line.
Other Halloween costume Hot spots:
Dorothy’s Boutique
190 Massachusetts Ave., Boston
Mon – Sat: 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m
Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m.
T Stop: Hynes Convention Center (Green Line)
Goodwill Retail Stores
520 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge
Mon – Sat: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m.
T Stop: Central Square
(Red Line)
965 Commonwealth Ave., Boston
Mon – Sat: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday from 12 to 6 p.m.
T Stop: Pleasant Street
(Green Line)