Costume Buying Guide – Choosing the Best Costume for You

Buying a costume for an upcoming event should be part of the fun, but when it comes to choosing the right costume it can be a little daunting. How do you choose the right size? What does Deluxe, Premium and Collector’s Edition mean? What are official costumes? Should you buy or hire? Well, we have the ultimate guide here to help you choose the best costume for your needs!

What are Official Costumes?

If you’re looking for a generic costume idea, like a witch or a pirate, there are plenty to choose from, in a wide range of styles. However, if you want a specific character from a movie or TV show, then the creators or the rights holders of that license will have specific costumes created for their characters. For example, if you want to dress up as Princess Leia or Batman, there are officially licensed costumes to help you bring those characters to life. They may still come in a range of options (and trust me, Batman has lots of options – from the Brave & Bold cartoon costumes to 1989 and 2022 movie versions, and more!), but each will be approved by the rights holder and made to their requirements.

Why Buy Licensed Goods?

Buying the officially licensed costumes means that you’re getting the approved product, just as the license holder had it designed. It also rewards them financially for creating a character, movie, or TV show that you love. Buying a knock-off version is essentially saying “I love this character you’ve created, but I won’t pay you for your efforts”!

Finding the Right Size Costume

Costume sizing can be very tricky. Costumes aren’t made in as many sizes as regular clothing is, so it pays to check the size charts to find the best fit for you. Our products will have a size chart in the image gallery to show you the approximate measurements that each size should fit. If the size chart is missing, please reach out to us for assistance.

The sizes from different manufacturers may vary, or they may be called different things (e.g. Standard vs Medium). The size names given by the manufacturer also may not quite match the sizing you are used to from clothing sizes, so definitely check the measurements when choosing your size – you may be a Large in clothing, but a Medium costume may be the best fit for you. We make notes on the listing where we’ve been told that sizing is not as expected. The reviews are also a great way of gauging the size, so make sure you check there when looking into sizing.

If you’re on your own and struggling to get measurements or buying it as a gift for someone else and you don’t want them to know, you can always measure a piece of clothing to see if it would fit on the measurements in the size chart.

A Look at Quality and Price Points

We aim to get you the best quality costumes at reasonable prices. That being said, there are different levels of quality for different needs. If you’re after a Santa Suit that will look the part and last for many Christmases or get the authentic Star Wars costumes that are replicas of the movie costumes, they’re available and the price will reflect the effort and materials that go into making those epic creations.

But what if you want a basic costume to wear just a few times? Then there are options for that too! Those are times when you want to look the part but don’t want to spend the earth. There are also options for in-between those extremes. Here are a few things to look for:

• Classic costumes – these are your basic costumes at a low price. They will look the part, but the printing may not go around to the back, and features like masks and belts may be basic or printed onto the costume.
• Deluxe costumes – these have more features than a classic costume. With these costumes, you’ll often find the muscles are padded, and there are little extra details that make the costume stand out from the basic ones.
• Premium costumes – these go even further than the deluxe costumes, such as full masks, zippered closures, or the included accessories. These are the perfect way to immerse yourself in a character while still at a reasonable price!
• Collector’s Edition costumes – these are the bee’s knees, the cream of the crop! They have all the bells and whistles to make your costume look as close as possible to the real deal. If you’re going all out, looking to become a Stormtrooper, Elvis or Catwoman and you’re willing to invest in top quality then this is the range for you.

Be sure the check the list of inclusions for the features and included accessories for the costumes you’re comparing. A deluxe or premium version may include items that you’d otherwise need to purchase separately.  

Types of Masks

Different types of costume masks appeal to different people. Most basic costumes that include a mask will have a thin plastic mask that covers your face and is attached via elastic around the back of your head. These are a great, budget-friendly way to get into character.

 

Some kids don’t do well with plastic masks that cover their faces. If this applies to your child, you may want to look at the plush eye masks that also help to portray the character, but without covering their nose and mouth.

If you’re looking to step up your cosplay, you may want to ditch the included mask and choose a more elaborate one that immerses you in the character. There are often options for a ¾ mask, helmet or hood that takes your dress-up to the next level.

Buying Local

It can be tempting to buy from overseas retailers who sell costumes at marked-down prices. These sites are definitely an example of buyer-beware! Not only are the likely knock-offs, stealing money from the rightful intellectual property owners, but the sizing won’t necessarily be designed for Australian bodies and can be quite a surprise when the item arrives. Arranging a return and a refund can then be quite tricky.  Buying from Costume Super Centre Australia means that you’re getting an authentic licensed costume and that the sizes have been verified for Aussie buyers.

You’ll also find that delivery timeframes are much quicker when shipping within Australia. Unless you’re ordering a large, fragile or bulky item and you live in a remote destination within Australia, you should find you’ll get your Costume Super Centre Australia delivery within 1-3 business days.

Hiring vs Buying Costumes

Hiring a costume can help save room in your closet, but that’s about it. In my own experience of hiring a costume, it cost more to hire and clean the costume than buying, plus the hassle of taking time off work to pick it up and return it within their designated timeframe. It also relies on them having the right size in stock and available for the date that you want it. Then you spend the whole party desperately trying not to get a mark or snag on the costume for fear of additional charges! Buying a costume means that you have it ready in your closet for the next time you want to dress up, and it is all yours to clean, modify and enjoy as you see fit.

Having your own costume box is great fun for a rainy day and is perfect for staying young at heart. Regular events like Supanova or Oz Comic-Con are great places to wear your costumes, not just for dress-up parties and Halloween. The trend for wearing a fun costume to sporting events like the cricket, tennis, and football also makes these great places to get your cosplay on!

Choosing a costume for your event should be fun, not a huge stress. Asking yourself a few questions about what you’re looking for in a costume, and how much you want to invest in looking the part can help narrow down your choices until you find the perfect costume for you!