Theatrical Costume Shop by Clarke Quay With 20,000 Costumes

Costumes 'N' Parties, at 2 Havelock Road, fills three joined units, #02-16, #02-17 and #02-18, on the second floor of Havelock II, a few minutes on foot from the Singapore River. The showroom holds more than 20,000 costumes for rent or sale, and the company makes much of its own stock, from feather boas and masquerade eye masks to steampunk pieces, party wigs and inflatable suits. For a stage director with one afternoon to dress a whole cast, it is the biggest single rack room in town.

The story starts in 1997 in Kuala Lumpur, in a 300 sq ft shop at City Square Shopping Centre on the second floor of the Crown Princess Hotel, which offered 300 costumes for rent and sale. The Malaysian business grew into one of the largest costume boutiques in the city, and the company still runs a showroom on Jalan Raja Chulan with a collection it puts at over 30,000 pieces.

Singapore came in 2010, when the first showroom opened at 73 Kampong Bahru, opposite Singapore General Hospital. Stock soon outgrew the space, and the business moved to Havelock II, where it is today. The company describes itself as the first to offer online rental across Southeast Asia, and the site footer claims more than 25 years of costume service.

Rental prices are posted on each listing, and the homepage gives a useful spread. A Premium Wolverine 2024 costume rents for $180.00 and a Premium Chewbacca for $250.00, both listed under the What's Hot banner alongside superhero pieces from the Thor films. At the more modest end, a Deluxe Imperial Caesar is $100.00 and an Empress Divine Egyptian is $85.00.

The premium tier is pitched at people who need to be seen from the back of a ballroom. The shop describes these as life-size, ultra-realistic wearable replicas, ideal for CEOs, MDs, directors and MCs, and suggests them for impact entrances, opening segments and shopping mall promotions. If your production has one hero entrance and a chorus behind it, this is where the lead's costume comes from.

Not everything is for hire. The sale side covers stage and special effects makeup, hats, capes and eye masks, bow ties and suspenders, 1970s accessories, Hawaiian and pirate pieces, and wigs. Posted prices include a black feather boa at $19.90, a black velvet flapper headband with rhinestones at $29.90, a three-piece black and white furry fox animal set at $30.90 and an inflatable giant horse at $73.90.

Because the company manufactures under its own label, it says it can take bulk orders and will try to source or make something you cannot find on the site. Corporate rates for bulk orders are available by email, there are special discounts for entertainment companies and entertainers, and schools, government ministries and statutory boards can be invoiced through the government e-invoicing system.

Every rental is figured on a three-day period starting the day the costume leaves the boutique, and you pay whether you wear it or not. Each late day is charged at the rental rate. Alterations need written consent from the owner, any temporary change must be undone before return, and failing to remove it costs S$25.00 per item. Iron-on or adhesive tape is banned and can be charged up to the full cost of the costume.

Extra laundry carries a minimum $25.00 fee. Normal wear is accepted, but the policy lists what counts as damage, including tearing, burning, cutting, excessive make-up and the removal of buttons, medallions, badges or trim. One line will make any dance captain smile: knee slides are not to be performed while in costume. Lost or damaged items are charged at replacement cost.

The rental catalogue is split into dozens of themes, which makes it practical for a period show. There are separate racks for the Roaring 20s and Gatsby, 1950s and 1960s rock and roll, 1960s and 1970s disco, 1980s punk, medieval, Renaissance and Victorian, Roman, royalty, the Wild West, pirates and under the sea, and casino, circus and showman. Local briefs are covered too, with Racial Harmony, Chinese New Year and a Muslimah category.

Children's costumes are sorted by age, from two to four years up to 14 to 16, which saves guesswork for a school production. The company caters for dinner and dance nights, company galas, wedding gate crashes and birthday parties, and says group costumes and accessories are held in large quantities, so a 20-strong chorus line can usually be dressed from one rail.

If you cannot reach Havelock Road, orders received by 3 pm on a working day can be delivered the same day within Singapore. The service does not run on weekends or public holidays, so a Saturday show needs the order in by Friday afternoon at the latest. Remember that the three-day rental clock starts when the parcel reaches you, not when the curtain goes up, so a Thursday delivery for a Saturday matinee is the tidiest timing. The website runs around the clock, and you can rent online as well as buy.

Havelock II sits where Havelock Road meets the river, and the Singapore River promenade leads east to Clarke Quay's restored godowns and the footbridges at Read Bridge and Ord Bridge. Clarke Quay MRT station on the North East Line is the closest train stop for a showroom run.

Heading the other way, Hong Lim Park and the shophouse streets of Chinatown are a short walk south across New Bridge Road. After a long fitting, Chinatown's hawker centres are a cheap place to regroup, and Robertson Quay further up the river is quieter if you want to sit by the water.

Costumes 'N' Parties, 2 Havelock Road, Havelock II #02-16/17/18, Singapore 059763. Showroom hours are Monday to Friday 11 am to 8 pm and Saturday 11 am to 6 pm, closed on Sundays and public holidays. Rentals run on a three-day period, and the minimum extra laundry fee is $25.00. Same-day delivery within Singapore applies to orders received by 3 pm on working days.