Wild about Waistcoats

Scary waistcoats,
Hairy waistcoats,
Sober, silk and leary waistcoats

We have rustic and charming,

Bright and alarming.
A waistcoat for everyone,
Whether partying or farming

For Fagin or dodger,

Country gent or lodger.
We have gold ones for kings
Harris Tweed for old codgers.

There are waistcoats with collars

Waistcoats without
Scruffy old waistcoats, that need throwing out.
Burgundy brown,
Star spangled for clown,
Brilliant waistcoats with oodles of clout.

So, need a waistcoat in a hurry?

No need to worry
Just get on the phone and give us a shout.

Admiral Costumes  01908 372504

http://www.admiralcostumes.co.uk/?page_id=752

 

 

 

 

 

Party Garlands

A fabulous range of party garlands and streamers are now available to buy from our new on-line store.

Our extra large jumbo sized garlands are suitable for shops, tea rooms, event venues and hotels.

 There is an excellent choice of themed garlands for all parties, ranging from Halloween, to beach parties, tropical parties, cocktail parties, Pirate parties, Christmas and New Year.

For an excellent choice of unusual party garlands and banners go to our website:

http://www.admiralcostumes.co.uk/index.php?wpsc_product_category=party-party

and simply order on line in time for your event.

If you cannot find what you are looking for or you would like more information on our party products, call us on 01908 372504.

New on-line store now open

For the first time ever, Admiral Costumes now offers an on-line service for purchasing fancy dress costumes and accessories.

An increasing demand for party items for hen nights, stag nights, parties and team events has given us the opportunity to offer a huge range of party decorations, masks, replica weapons and other fun items on-line, without the need for extra store space.

A portfolio of over 4000 items is now displayed on our website. Simply click on our shop tab or the shop icon and the on-line shop will open in a new window.

Products are categorised under five main categories, male, female, child, accessories and party. These are further divided into, New Year, Christmas, Halloween, historical, international and eras.  Simply browse the sections to see an excellent choice of fancy dress items for all occasions.

Fancy dress items can be securely purchased on-line and are usually despatched within three working days. For local customers, orders can be collected from our store in Newton Longville to avoid carriage charges.

Authentic quality costumes for shows, plays, historical events and murder mystery are available for hire from our Newton Longville store.

To view our shop click here http://www.admiralcostumes.co.uk/?page_id=1350

If you cannot find what you are looking for, need more information on any of the products, or assistance with your order, then please call us on 01908 372504.

Made to measure costumes

Quality costumes are sometimes difficult to source in all sizes, so we offer a bespoke service for waistcoats, dresses and outfits.

Costumes recently produced include, a child’s waistcoat for ‘Bert’ in Mary Poppins who needed a striped waistcoat for a dance show, a matching set of barber shop waistcoats for an events company, an extra large waistcoat for a ringmaster in gold and red and a 50’s style red dress with white penny spots complete with bolero for a jive dance competition.

For matching sets of costumes, individual items or specific request, simply give us a call on        01908 372504 or visit our website www.admiralcostumes.co.uk

 

‘Whodunnit’

‘Whodunnit’ is an Agatha Christie style play written by Anthony Shaffer and is being produced by The Old Gaolers in Buckingham during the 1^st week of November.

The story involves six strangers & a butler who have gathered for a black tie dinner in a wealthy lawyer's mansion during a thunderstorm.

 

The guests include an aged rear admiral, a bitchy aristocrat, a doddering archaeologist, and a dashing young cad. One of the guests is an oily Levantine who tells the others (each in private) that he has the goods to blackmail them.

 

Admiral Costumes are delighted to have provided costumes for this play set in the 1930’s and are pleased to publish the photos by kind permission of The Old Gaolers.

 

For more information on our 1930’s costumes for Agatha Christie style dramas, visit our website

http://www.admiralcostumes.co.uk/?page_id=824 

 

Theatrical Costumes, Vintage Wear and Fancy Dress

We are a professional theatrical costumier with an unrivalled collection of theatrical costumes and vintage wear with hard to find props and accessories that have been expertly collected over 20 years. Many amateur dramatic societies, professional theatre and TV production companies and events companies like to use us for their supply of quality, authentic looking costumes.

Our customers come to us for quality clothing in authentic fabrics. If they wish to dress up as the Queen, Duke of Edinburgh or Winston Churchill, they do not want to be wearing a flimsy piece of nylon and a plastic topper, they want real clothing and accessories so that they will look and feel the part.

We have a wonderful selection of tailcoats, frock coats, ball gowns and vintage style dresses and suits for all occasions, so give us a call on 019089 372504 or visit our website www.admiralcostumes.co.uk

For reproduction fancy dress costumes and accessories then please go to our website where a large range of fancy dress and party items can be securely purchased on-line. Orders can be delivered directly to your address or collected from store to save carriage charges.

 www.admiralcostumes.co.uk/shop

Our store in Newton Longville, Milton Keynes is open from 3-6 on Thursdays and          9 – 1pm on Friday and Saturday for viewings and collections. Other times are available by appointment.

 

 

 

Waistcoats

Waistcoats are one of those clothing items that have been worn since the 15^th century and are still popular today.

Waistcoats or ‘vests’, as they were called then, were introduced by Charles II in 1666 to his court and not wearing a waistcoat was quickly considered to be ‘undressed’.

The waistcoat has continued to be worn by everyone from peasants to kings, for not only extra warmth, but as an elaborate item of mens dress to demonstrate wealth.

Admiral Costumes offer a huge selection of waistcoats from many periods, from the simple jerkin of the tudor peasant through the fashion eras of the 20^th century to present day.

We have waistcoats suitable for pantomime, characters, wedding suits, butlers and ringmasters, in velvet, tweed, silk, brocade or paisley.

We have short waistcoats, long waistcoats, buttoned or collared, suitable for many period plays and dramas set in 20th century times.

Sets of sequinned waistcoats for shows like chorus line or cabaret are available for hire and waistcoats with pictures or loud patterns for character performances.

Barber shop or bespoke waistcoats can be made to order. For more information on hiring our waistcoats or placing an order, please call 01908 372504.

http://www.admiralcostumes.co.uk/?page_id=752

 

Business or busts

Through thick and thin,
They’ll wade right in,
Getting to grips with business acumen.
Together forever, exceedingly clever,
They take any sort of knock on the chin.

 Together they share entrepreneurial flair.

They handle costumes and props and customers with care.
Their wit and their charm does them no harm,
Only step on their toes if you dare.
 

So if you want a good time,

Contact the partners in crime,
Gladys and Ruby are still in their prime.
A pair you can trust – call them you must
The delectable duo – business or bust.

@admiralcostumes and @ruby’s_vintage

 

www.admiralcostumes.co.uk

 

 

‘Allo ‘Allo

Based on the hugely popular TV comedy series, the stage version of 'Allo 'Allo follows the adventures of René, the hapless café owner in war-torn occupied France, as he and his wife, Edith, struggle to keep for themselves a priceless portrait stolen by the Nazis and kept in their cellar.

René is hiding two British airmen and is endeavouring, with the help of the Resistance, to repatriate them. At the same time, everyone is trying to get their hands on the valuable painting of the Fallen Madonna by Van Clomp.

All plans are turned upside down when it is announced that Adolf Hitler and Field Marshall Hermann Goering intend to visit their small village of Nouvien in war-torn France, which leads to several of the characters attempting to impersonate either Hitler or Goering in a last-ditch attempt to get their hands on the so-called valuable work of art with the aim of selling it after the war.

The comedy play has all the characters of the TV version; Rene the café owner, Edith his wife and Yvette the maid.

Admiral Costumes have a good selection of costumes for this show, with German uniforms and trenchcoats in grey and khaki jackets and trousers, for Gruber and General Von Schmelling, gendarme costumes, british airman jackets with helmet and goggles, and outfits for the main characters.

 We are delighted to be providing costumes for the Nemesis Theatre Group in Flitwick who will be producing this excellent play next month.

For more information visit www.admiralcostumes.co.uk

Sex Sells

I’ve had it on good authority – sex sells.

No doubt it’s true. All those gorgeous models draped over cars, dabbing perfume behind their ears and seductively eating chocolate must be doing it for good reason.

I have business friends who have been persuaded to step outside their personal comfort zone to produce promotional material that has left them, quite frankly, 50 shades of red.

The marketers can’t all be wrong, so I’ve volunteered Gladys Costumier as our company sex symbol for Admiral Costumes.

Her name alone has a certain ‘Je ne sais quoi’, and she is more than happy to pose nude at the drop of a hat without complaint. She’s cheap and sassy, offers no opinion and will wear absolutely anything except trousers.

So if the following poster doesn’t make you want to pick up the phone and give us a call, then I don’t know what will.

www.admiralcostumes.co.uk

01908 372504

A show stopping September with Admiral Costumes

Firstly we were delighted to have been credited with providing the costumes for the 70’s Chic article in the August edition of Vintage Life Magazine and were mentioned once more on page four of the September issue.

Over 100 of our 1950’s clothing items went out to Milton Keynes Theatre for the Ambassadors production of Guys and Dolls. With a cast of 150, it was amazing to see so many of our vintage outfits on stage at any one time in the crowd scenes. From suits and dresses to overcoats and trilby’s, the costumes looked amazing against the superb stage set.

Another production of The Sound of Music saw 10 of our nun’s habits and 7 children’s sailor suits and play clothes, including the curtains and tie backs, head off to Tring for several performances of this popular show.

We were also delighted to have been able to provide specialist 1930’s style clothing for the most popular Agatha Christie play, ‘And Then There were None’ which is also the most read book after The Bible and The Koran.  The director’s attention to detail on the period clothing, ensures that this will be a truly authentic looking production, with double breasted dinner suits and elegant ladies day and evening attire.

I am always amazed at the diverse use of our costumes and this month we have seen our costumes not only worn in a wide variety of shows and plays, but at the Goodwood revival, Woburn gardens  display, an Edwardian dressage competition, a wedding on the island on Rutland Water, a barbers shop quintet and a palette and brushes used at a floral art competition. Not to mention four more nun’s habits that took part in a student’s final year film at a Buckinghamshire film school.

Coming up we have several more shows to look forward to; ‘Allo ‘Allo, Hi-De-Hi, The Gondoliers, Sherlock Holmes, Cabaret  and further productions of The Sound of Music.

Gladys Costumier, my faithful colleague and confidante can now be followed on twitter @gladyscostumier.  She likes to shed her own wit and wisdom on our daily lives at Admiral Costumes.

This week we have been nominated as shop of the week by ‘Love Little Shops’ an on line directory for small rural shops in the Buckinghamshire area and this weekend, we are off to a masked ball as characters from the Mask of Zorro (Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones eat your heart out!).

For more detailed accounts of our September events, please check our blog: http://admiralcostumes.posterous.com/

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @admiralcostumes