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"This is a little gem hidden away in the city! I walked by the shop once when it was closed and stood, mesmerized by the cute window…" read more »
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Frickin' awesome. Upon entering, I had no idea what to be for Halloween. I ask, "So you guys got anything so I can be some type of food product." Answer: "Well, you could be a pineapple, or grapes, or some Carmen-Miranda-ish figure or a Deviled Egg." I respond, "Deviled Egg, done." And it was only $25 to rent. And they pretty much had everything else other people needed.
Definitely a 5-star experience because the alterna people who work here have better customer service skills here than many fancy establishments.
Oct. 31 has passed, but who cares, this is SF right?
Need that (sexy) sailor outfit?
Or that (sexy) hippie get up?
Or that (sexy) nurses dress?
Yea, they got all that (sexy) stuff that girls like to sport on Halloween.
But, they also have head to toe Winnie the Pooh costumes, this cute little Orphan Annie dress I wore last 10/31, wigs galore, costume make up all over the place and lots of helpful hands.
The rental ain't cheap, but it really is a one stop shop for your costuming needs. About $30-50 for a rental with a deposit upfront. Wigs cost ya around $25-40. But, with a huge hill up Haight to Piedmont why not just find your whole outfit here and call it a day next door at Molotovs. Trying to piece together a costume on your own isn't THAT fun.
Go on, go play dress up. If you're planning for next Halloween, you've got 11 months to explore and put your order in early....there WILL be a line for procrastinators.
We were procrastinators and put off costume shopping until last night. Ran in here on a Tuesday at 7:50pm. The place was packed. There were rope lines outside the store probably to manage maximum amount of people in the store. Inside, it was PACKED. Rows upon rows of costumes. Everything you could think of. We dodged the crowds and the racks and bolted to the back of the store where the "makeup section" was. Upon arrival, a nice gentleman gave us the low-down on halloween makeup. From blood that you could put on pancakes to tattoo bite marks to fangs that you can glue onto your teeth, this place had everything you could think of when dealing with makeup. He was very knowledgable and helped us pick the right "look" for our vampire bride/groom costume. This is the go to place if you are clueless and want some good ideas and suggestions to complete your look.
Apparently the guy had 4 sets of fangs and often downs alcohol like crazy in them. Good to know.
If you want a very specific, very expensive costume, sure, go here. Otherwise, you're subjecting yourself to a very tiny, very crowded, very expensive shop.
I've been to the store twice now-- once looking for LoveFest accessories, and once to help the bf find a Halloween costume. The first trip was ok- I found body glitter which I wanted, but paid $4 for a tiny pot that required additional glue. The second trip involved waiting in line to get inside, trying not to poke an eye out on the racks, and leaving empty-handed. The bf and his roommates were looking for a group costume and were offered "Beatles" outfits that were $80 a pop-- to rent. I scanned the prices of other rentals and they were all really pricey, and it was clear that the pieces made their rounds through several closets.
I'd say the store is good for inspiration if nothing else. Otherwise, you can take the ideas and get the pieces online or a thrift store for much less.
Perhaps I'd give this place more stars if I could have actually gotten in, but anyhoo....
After forking over $15 for a cab ride all the way from the Financial District at 7PM, to have plenty of time to make the 8PM closing (their, ahem, "special late holiday hours" for Halloween. Since when is 8PM late?). There's a LINE outside the door, perhaps 15+ freezing cold people long, all young hopefuls waiting to get costumed (meanwhile, the place looks halfway deserted inside, so any stars that would go toward crowd control have already been removed for OVERZEALOUS crowd control).
"Riff Raff" is bouncing outside the door, making sure that the crowd of frosty yuppies is staying in line (which, they are - nobody moves a muscle, but in actuality it may be because they all have frostbite from the October San Francisco chill).
Though I wasn't psyched about freezing my ass off and waiting outside for however long (who would be?), neither am I one of those douches who feels "too good for The Line."
But here's where Costumes on Haight got me slightly peeved. We were told that in spite of our nice orderly standing-in-line-ness...NONE of us were guaranteed admittance before closing. Presumably at 8PM Riff Raff turns into Cinderella, and all those in line NOT inside the store before 8 would be turned away to fend for ourselves with Made in China costumes at Walgreen's.
Mind you, there were less than 20 of us waiting - hardly an overwhelming crowd, and all of us with cash in hand. It was literally about 2 degrees outside. And Riff Raff was bitchy. It felt like that scene in Pretty Woman where Vivian can't get the snobby Beverly Hills salespeople to take her good money because she looks like a displaced skank...only in this case the rabid super-liberals of the Haight were doing their best to snub the capitalist costume-goers by bolting their doors at 8 when we juST WANTED TO BUY SOME OVERPRICED HAIR GLITTER, DAMMIT!
To be fair, I can't tell if this is just the typical SF/Haight equivalent of the Soviet Bread Lines and nothing out of the ordinary for Pelosiville...or if Costumes on Haight is just not set up for Halloween.
This place is great! This store is professionally run, the staff is friendly and knowledgeable about their inventory. Many of the items are slightly more expensive than the usual Halloween stores, but its well worth it. Everything I've gotten here from costumes, masks, makeup, horns, body-paint has been high quality. The staff also took extra time to help make sure I was buying the right products and to give helpful tips.
Don't waste your time going to other costume stores. Believe me, I tried, since I don't live close to this place. This place is definitely worth the trip!!
Well, I hate to get down on a small business, but..
They were a little busy, but not very. There were about 8 people in the store, and four of them looked like they were just standing around having a conversation. There were about 6 employees that I could see.
That being said, I tried to catch eye contact for about 5 full minutes. Not having success, I went over to the lady behind the counter who was helping another lady with some earrings. I finally got her to see me, and the conversation went thus:
Saleslady: "Hi!"
Me: "Hey how ya doing?"
Saleslady: "Good thanks!"
Me: "I'm looking for-"
Saleslady: (cutting me off sharply) "I'll be with you in a minute."
She then went to stare at the woman looking at earrings. I waited. Waited. Waited. Several minutes passed. I left to browse for a few minutes and came back. Still watching the earrings getting looked at. It didn't look like I was going to get help anytime soon so I decided to go off and find whatever my own damn self.
Saleslady, I understand that you need to stare intently at the earrings to make sure nothing gets stolen, and this is part of your job. But, all I had was a simple question that could have been answered by pointing one finger. You could have let me finish my sentence, to see if the help I needed was simple or complicated, before cutting me off so abruptly. You look like a smart woman. You can use your eyes and your ears at the same time, I'm sure.
Or, even better, you could have said, "Hey, (name of coworker who CAN help me), this lady here needs some help!". That way you can still eyeball the earrings with 100% viewing capacity, and provide me with customer service at the same time!
Sorry for nitpicking, but if I was at my job and did that and my boss saw, he would have chewed me out royally.
I did EVENTUALLY find what I was looking for, and all the accessories to match it, but I didn't make any purchases that day. If I had a salesperson to encourage me, I probably would have, but oh well. They do seem to be fully stocked with good selections of costumes and all the accessories for every costume they have, though!
I plan on coming back, because I love costumes and I love small businesses, but if the customer service doesn't improve, then they might convince me to stop coming.
It's somewhat of a small store but they have a ton of different costumes and accessories. The employees are very nice and welcoming, they were happy to help my friends and I out but we told them that we were just looking around the store.
This place is also open all year long, so it's definitely a place to go to whenever I need a costume for whatever reason. I do films, this store seems like a place i'll be going to a lot once I start on my movie projects.
Friendly staff, and very well stocked store. I just needed a little dog nose (you know the kind that you can strap on with that elastic string). Unfortunately, they only had 2 types, and neither are what I am looking for, but able to be adapted for my purposes.
I fully expected the place to have that dried-sweat and stanky smell that most rental costume shops have, but no! This place must truly dry clean or launder all the costumes as they should.
The prices are a bit high, but it's in the Haight (lower), so the prices are relatively OK. The staff was knowledgeable and very friendly. I will keep this place in mind for future purchases.
This is a solidly good place to get a costume- from hot dogs, to Braveheart and Alice in Wonderland to a Roman Goddess. You can either purchase a costume or rent it for a few days. Rental prices are based on how elaborate the costume is. I rented an Alice in Wonderland costume (cleaned and pressed between each use) but am opting for my own version of Crissy Snow instead- short shorts, tube top, and pigtails. Canceling a rental is about $10, not too bad considering everyone is clamoring for a costume right about now. Have fun!
I needed a wig for an upcoming costume event, and the one I had purchased previous online wasn't working out for me. I typed in 'wigs' in Google and this was the first place to pop up, so away I went.
This is my first wig experience and the friendly people explained to me how to put on the wig cap right and how to get the wig on. The nice man helping me even demonstrated how to use the cap on himself so I could copy him, and helped me adjust the wigs. he rescued me from my wig-drama and sent me home happy.
The wig I bought was perfect and affordable, and I'm very happy.
Oo! Oo! I'd almost put this place entirely out of my memory until Yelp reminded me. Thanks, Yelp! Go here for inexplicably expensive costumes that are really cheaply made. Then stay for the rude, pompous guy behind the cash register.
They get one star for the creative window displays (and because there's no option to give zero stars). Too bad the content of the store can't live up to the window art.
I was in Acapulco (after one of one marriages I've been involved in) several years back (c. 1995) and left our (family) condo to make our way to this hidden condo spot we heard about that had a bar in the middle of a circular pool. When we got there it wasn't too packed, just a couple here and there. We sat down with Frank and Danny, who we learned were from SF as well. We chatted all afternoon, hanging out, making our way between the pool and the chairs, chit chatting.
Fast forward a year. We're back in SF and we've stayed friends with Frank and Danny. We'd go grab a bite here and there, and although rare, I've always had a great affection for both. Frank opened COH within that year after we got back i believe. It may have already been open, but my memory just isn't all that. I've been here many, many times for costumes and accessories, and they always have something pretty cool that appeals to me and whatever group I'm with looking for a collective or individual outfit. I know they used to travel quite a bit looking for many of the costumes they rent, and have great pride quality products.
Frank passed sometime back, but Danny was still running the show last time i was there in October. This is a little jewel of the city.
Lower Haight.
I'm incredibly sad to say, as much as I tried to like this place, I just had the most awful experience here and would definitely not think to recommend it.
I was referred to this place to find a Santa outfit for Santacon this year, and the people on the phone were nice enough-- I came in the Tuesday prior to Saturday's Santacon and rented an outfit. Knowing that the event was on a Saturday, no one had told me that it was due the Thursday PRIOR. I even asked if it was due the Thursday after Santacon (Otherwise, why would I rent it?) and the sales guy said "Yup."
Now I return the costume and they inform me that it was seven days late and I owed $140 in late charges! I explained my situation but got cut off by the sales guy, who said "You don't need to plead your case." They ended up lowering my late fees to $50, but with $50 out of my pocket (on top of the apparently $25-a-day costume), I have to say it's a little unfair to pay the fees due to an employee's big screw up.
Their costumes are great, the people are friendly, but the place is not that well organized, and sadly, I will never come here again.
Tinkerbell or Pocahontas....Tink or Poc, TInk or Poc....dammit!
I couldn't decide. Our theme this year is DIY Disney characters, and nothing I could find even came close to an "Erika C interpretation" of either beloved Disney femme fatale. It was time for drastic measures.
Costumes on Haight has always scared me just a little. The intimidating lines that emanate from this place around Halloween time, the crazy window displays that show off intense and scary wares; but, this was crunch time people! Lives depend on this! Sort of! Not really at all! Moving on!
Surprisingly, the place was not as packed as I had imagined. The racks and racks of costumes made me second and third guess my costumes of choice (dammit, is Harry Potter Disney? What?! OMFG look at...*gasp* WANT!), and the staff was super helpful in directing me to make a final decision on the costume.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the winner isssss.....Tinkerbell! *the crowd goes wild*
What was the clincher? One of the staff members pointed to the ceiling (where all the wings are located, natch) and said "the green sparkly ones just SCREAM Tinkerbell." And you know what? She was RIGHT.
If you need a costume that is either a) of very high quality
b) strange, rare, or just outlandish
c) awesome
go here. You can rent OR buy these costumes, but rental charges include a post-wearing cleaning charge, so you can calm down a little and have some cake. The rental charges may seem expensive, but I try to keep in mind how much one would spend on buying everything elsewhere, and it makes more sense.
The detail on some of these costumes is amazing! You can be a Revolutionary war soldier, a pirate, Little Bo Peep... Plus, they have a huge selection of full-face masks, and any accessory you could want. If you are wanting to be an animal (and I don't mean that cute naughty kitten, although they have stuff for that too), they have what you want. I have rented a lobster costume from them, and I'm already planning greatness for next Halloween.
Now, this is key: PLAN AHEAD. They DO reserve costumes, but you must pay the rental fee in advance to do so. My lobster was reserved in early September. When October 30th rolled around (rentals are for 3 days), I didn't have to wait in their GINORMOUS line, I simply handed my receipt to the line master, and he went and got my costume for me. SO, go early (and I mean in ADVANCE) and everything will go smoothly.
The 70's. The mere mention of the decade brings back fond memories - the music! The fashion! The hair!!! And don't even get me started on all that unprotected sex...
Here's what I looked like in the 70's:
http://static.px.yelp....
Thanks to Costumes on Haight I was transformed from my boring semi-metrosexual self to this:
http://static.px.yelp....
Guess which Phil H. the ladies love more?
I never would have pulled it off without Costumes on Haight - open year round so if you too find yourself in need of a wig, skeevy mustache and solid gold* male symbol necklace for an event at the last minute, you know where to go.
*not really
It's not often a big ass black chic with big ass boobs and a big ass butt will walk into a costume shop and contemplate buying and/or renting a slutty, cleavage spilling, barmaid costume to consider wearing one late night with the dude while serving him Guinness, feeding him grapes and allowing him to call her his "beer wench" while playfully smacking her butt.
However, it is nice to know there is a place said big ass black chic with big ass boobs and big ass butt can go to find said costume - in her size no less - if the mood strikes her and get excellent and friendly customer service while there.
I voted against renting the outfit. I have a feeling no one would want that mother fucker back after we got done with it.
Everyone who workes here is stoned, all the time. No exceptions.
I think any normal person has to be stoned to be a costume shop employee though. I'm not judging them. Plus whatever you want to be, you can probably find what you need to be it here.
in terms of awesome costumes. you guys had it all. I can do last minute Halloween shopping here like last year.
but man, when it came to helpfulness, I felt like I was wasting your time with questions about things to purchase.
It seems like every few months I go to a party where costume/mask are required. Is it me or do lots of people go to these kind of parties ;) ?
If you are one of them, you know what I mean. I've been getting my costumes / accessories here for a while. Since I am from Miami, I've seen more over the top, of course. Hence, 4 stars. But, overall, I think this is the best selection in town. If you think it, they've got it. If your mind is blank and you can't think it, you will think of it, when you get in here and see what they've got. Is that confusing? May be. But, still, check this place out. Even if you are not going to a costume party. It will be fun.
Much of my social life relies on this store. How does anyone living in San Francisco get by without dropping in at least monthly?
Awesome store! Vast selection of anything and everything. I just picked out a costume for a themed party this Valentines Day weekend and I can't wait to rock it!! You get 3 days to rent items and they're generally at a reasonable price. The service was friendly, sincere, and helpful. If you're doing last minute shopping/renting just before a major event, say Halloween, be smart and plan ahead to beat the rush!!! Definitely coming back .
Dude- amazing. I, like many others, wait until the last minute (every year) to grab a Halloween costume. So when I went to the Spirit Store yesterday, I was super-screwed. Well, the Haight must have something...
Yes! The second I walk in I see the mask (Guy Fox) I want.
"Can I buy that? And would you know where I might find the rest of the costume? And why are babies born?"
"Yes you can. Right over here. And you aren't old enough to know."
Perfect costume under $40? Priceless.
A costume store open year-round is already a wonderful thing.
Add to that the fact that although the store is small, they have an excellent selection of wigs, make-up, accessories, and yes, costumes for rent or purchase and you have yourself a perfect little shop o' fun.
When I explained that my Halloween dream this year was to be phosphorescence, the staff was super helpful. I received a perfect tour of the make-up section as well as all the glowing and neon things they had in the store. I should mention that no less than 2 members of the staff took time to help me out extensively on a day that was so busy I had to wait in line just to get into the store. (Thank you to the lady with red-not-pink hair who helped me with make-up, and to the dark-haired cashier who helped me with glowing paraphenalia.)
Tips:
- Try not to go too close to a major event so that you don't waste time standing in line.
- Do share your plan with the staff. They have often helped me with accessories that I hadn't even thought of, or didn't see while browsing.
- If the costumes are more than you want to spend, still check out their make-up and accessories. They have a great selection.
Happy costuming!
It's that time if the year again. I'll wait till two days before Halloween and stand in line for a half hour before I can walk in. Wrong!! Go early an catch these guys before they get swamped. They are helpful, have dressing rooms, and can help when you have an idea in your head you barely articulate....somehow they get you. Burningman, Halloween, random parties, drunk night out...they will set you up.
It's good place to go when you don't want to do the Halloween superstore crap. Those costumes are garbage and expensive. It's best rent from costumes on Haight. And, they have a more personable make-up section.
take a bus..parking on the Haight sucks at times.
My favorite thing about Costumes on Haight is not their huge selection of well-maintained costumes and outfits, nor their helpful staff, but rather the fact that they are open year-round.
Imagine a world of sexy nurses and maids, construction workers, caped crusaders and cowboys, even honest-to-goodness aliens, year round. Perhaps I will one day award them a coveted fifth star if - and only if - they get me a Lando Calrissian outfit. Ya hear!?!
I love the fact that SF has such a great year round costume store. The selection of costumes is great, but they never fit me properly. Somehow, I always come in, try stuff off, then buy a ton of their accessories and put together something with my clothes. They're perfectly happy helping me do that as well!
I had a great experience at Costumes on Haight a while back. My friend wanted fake blood for his Bloody Mary costume for Bay to Breakers so I offered to pick it up on my way home. I walk into Costumes on Haight and it is really busy, it was right before Bay to Breakers so everyone is buzzing around. I am not in the store for more than 5 seconds before I am greeted and asked if I could be helped. I was instantly shown a variety of fake bloods and given the advantages and disadvantages of each type. I purchase my blood and I am done, a satisfied customer on her way home. I really appreciate competent and friendly service and I guess I didn't expect it at a costume shop since I can't get it most places.
So we all know I'm a cheap bastard, but what the h? Has anyone ever looked at the prices on some of the shit this place rents? Liz went as David Lee Roth to Julie's Halloween party, so she needed some serious flair for her costume. Because the role of Diamond Dave offers a wild variety of possible garb, Liz was going back and forth between an all white tux with a captain's hat or a sparkly suit jacket with white pants.
As soon as we arrive at Costumes on Haight we find a fairly worn out, but still fantastically sparkly jacket - one star right there for convenience. HOWEVER, we check the price tag and immediately three stars disappear with a poof!
"$500.00," the motherfucking moth-chomped jacket had the nerve to say to us!
"Are you out of your fucking mind?" I spat back, totally aghast.
"What do you mean, you fucking bitch?" The jacket cursed, raising a disheveled arm to wave in my face.
"You look like a walking abortion!" I hissed. "Like roadkill with cancerAIDS!"
Liz, thoroughly alarmed by the escalating altercation, grabbed my arm and steered me to the next aisle. After tearing off the price tag in an attempt to keep me quiet, she squashed a stinky Mexican wrestling mask on my head as a distraction while she bought the captain's hat.
Apparently the white tux won. Which is totally good, because Liz looked absolutely awesome AND because that sparkly jacket is a complete loser.
I have yet to find the perfect costume shop. I dont know what that would consist of, but this is pretty close.
1. Open year round. - hell yes!, in this city there is always a need for a costume, not just on Halloween. See my list.
2. Reasonably priced- ive seen items here that they sell elsewhere for much more. I bought a petticoat for $15. Another store it was $60
3. Random staff- the people who work here are really random. Nice, but have an odd sense of humor, which makes for an entertaining shopping experience.
4. They rent too!- this is always important, because the really awesome elaborate costumes that you would want to wear just for one night could cost a ton, but here you can just borrow and return the next day.
5. Convienently located- i can walk there. Thats whats important.
If you need a costume and don't have a clue, they will take care of it.
Little expensive (one part costumes from $45 and up, multipart (i.e. pirate captain, roman legion, mobster etc. expect $80+)
Great for couples, lots of options (check out the binders on the counter for some direction)
You may just consider buying the costume in the end (80 to rent 299 to buy) but that's up to you (I'm struggling with this decision myself re: a Captain Morgan get up)
It's useful to know one of these costume rental stores in town for a special occassion. On the day before Bay to Breakers, this place was jammed with people. This small establishment had racks of rental costumes squished so close together I nearly sufficated due to lack of oxygen in there. It didn't smell as bad as one of the vintage clothing stores on Haight, but I couldn't stay in there for more than 5 minutes before running out to catch a lung full of fresh air. Perhaps if I visited here on a less popular date, the experience might have been better.
They do have a nice selection and the service was good. I don't think rental prices are expensive if you consider the overhead costs of carrying a large number of costumes and the cost of cleaning them.
Found a great costume here, but wasn't super satisfied with the service. It's also pretty expensive... $50!
my costume is a flight attendant outfit, two piece. when i came out of the room to look in the mirror, one of the salespeople was like "ummm... i don't want to be a bitch here, but did you switch up different size costumes from the rack? they are supposed to be in sets of the same size." i don't really appreciate being accused of messing up their inventory. i told her that the costume set was in different sizes when i found it.
i'm sure they have lots of irritating people coming through and messing up the costumes, but don't suggest off the bat that i'm doing that as well. i used to work in retail, so i'm particularly sensitive to hanging clothes back up and not leaving things in a messy pile. we're not all lousy customers!
my costume is pretty hot, though, i can't wait to wear it!
Are you like me and can't grow facial hair to save your fucking life? I mean, I can grow it on my under chin area with ease... but sometimes you want to mess around with a goatee or a cock-brush. I can't.
It took me 6 weeks of not shaving my upper lip area to get enough hair to be seen in the 'right light'.
If I have to go to a mustache themed party again I will just stop by this joint. They have a ton of high quality mustaches and some cute girls that work here and are happy to help you too.
Can't speak to the prices of everything here except for a penguin cap that I bought for a zoo party that was $8.
They seem to have just about any costume you would want... in any price range.
Minus one star for the ugly/mean woman that was working in the front of the store that day... baby, we were not trying to jack up your display... we were looking around... doing a little something called... shopping... at a store!
I had to rent an elephant costume last year for an outreach event. The staff was very helpful and professional. The costume was adorable and fresh from the dry cleaners. Wow! Rates were very reasonable. I'd definitely rent from them again.
First and foremost: Yes, the staff is incredibly good looking. Secondly, in 20 minutes I was offered assistance three times! On a crazy Friday night, one week before Halloween, with people in a frenzy to find that special sexy-ladybug-flapper-pirate-Palin costume, it is impressive to find people that are polite and helpful through stress and a good amount of perspiration. The space is small, but they manage to fit in a good selection of costumes; pay attention to the full masks and headdresses to the left of the entry...the blue Marie Antoinette wig is a winner.
If you can't find a costume or prop for your costume it doesn't exist.
One of a kind shop and appropriately located on Haight St.
Rented a full fledged Bat Man outfit that was a big hit with my nephew.
I am now the coolest superhero in his eyes!
Well, $40 for facial hair that's not *quite* right is a bit steep, but as the guy said, I'm the first one he's heard of who's Halloweening as Jamie Hyneman (http://www.flickr.com/...), so I guess I'll take what I can get.
I didn't look around much, though it did look like a denser version of Piedmont Boutique. Even though they were busy, I was helped quickly and I got a decent goatee (at least better than I can grow by Halloween), along with the Spirit Gum & some makeup & latex for the bald cap, all for $51. So yeah, it's a bit pricey, but they know their shit.
I don't do THAT much costume shopping, so I am not sure if it is pricey or not. I DO know that it does not smell like dust and mold and they usually have everything you need. Like tonight - stupid Austen Powers crap. I was just happy they were open right after Halloween.
Added bonus: the ambiance of the lower haight.
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Lingerie
Neighborhood: Haight-Ashbury
Category: Costumes
Neighborhood: Lakeside
Category: Costumes
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Category: Party & Event Planning
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Performing Arts
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