Appointment Fittings
As we like to take time with each customer, many of our clients see us by appointment. Appointments can be made for any day, (Monday to Saturday), subject to availability, from 9.30am to 7.30pm. Each costume generally takes 30 minutes per customer.Normal Opening Hours for drop-in customers
This is when you can drop in without an appointment.Tuesdays 9.30am - 12.30pm, then 2pm - 5pm
Wednesdays 9.30am - 12.30pm, then 2pm - 5pm
Thursdays 9.30am - 12.30pm, then By Appointment Only later in the day.
Fridays 9.30am - 12.30pm, then By Appointment Only, later in the day.
Saturdays 9.30am - 12.30pm then 2pm - 5pm
Please note, we are not open on Sundays and Bank Holidays, and it is By Appointment Only, all day on Mondays.
You are welcome to come without an appointment, but bear in mind that we may need you to wait if we are busy.
What happens in a typical Appointment?
You have an event coming up for which you need a costume. If you have telephoned first we may have already discussed the options.The variety of choice of your costume will depend on two main factors;
How specific your requirement (No, we don't stock the exact green dress Keira wore in "Atonement")
What size you are (Vintage costumes are generally on the smaller side)
If you have not telephoned first and your requirement is quite particular, allow us to have an "Antoinette Moment". This is when we will go into a trance in order to visualise that Mediaeval Cod-Piece we know is in a cupboard somewhere, or exactly how to reproduce Kim Wilde's look from her "View from a Bridge" video! We are rarely completely stumped though, so don't worry, most people end up with something close to their original choice.
No idea what you want?
Join the club. Lots of people only have a vague theme to go on, or have no idea at all. We are great at helping you to find just the right outfit, which will suit you, suit the purpose and suit your budget.How much does it cost?
We sell masks and make-up from a couple of pounds and wigs from less than £10, and you can find single clothing items to rent from less than £10, but a typical customer will spend between £40 and £60 on an outfit. Some outfits are less than £35, and you can mix and match. We will ask you what your budget is, and will stick to it.Deposit
Remember, you are hiring the clothes, not buying them. This means that we charge a deposit on all items, against loss, significant damage and failure to return. Deposits are usually £50-£75 per costume, but are sometimes more, if the outfit is very valuable. Your deposit is taken as a payment on your credit card (or in cash), and is returned to you on the safe return of the costume.Hire Period
All items are hired for 7 days. You can bring back your items any time up to a week. Beyond a week and you will be charged for late return.Busy periods
Our busiest times are the days leading up to HallowE'en and New Year's Eve. Please make an appointment at this time, as we may well be fully booked if you turn up unannounced. The same can be true of certain Saturdays.Theatrical hire
As a supporter of the Theatre Industry, we know that companies are often on very tight budgets. Discounts are offered on theatre hires where a group of costumes is hired for a week or more.STYLING SUPPORT SERVICE AT ANTOINETTE’S
Here, at Antoinette Costume Hire, we work regularly with Theatre Designers, Fashion Stylists and Photographers. In addition, all our individual customers receive one-to-one attention, guidance and creative input, so that everyone who comes to us benefits from the “Antoinette Magic”. Our customers regularly win prizes for their outfits.
You can telephone us for creative ideas at any time, and if you would like to come and see us, you may have a half-hour free creative consultation for any projects you have coming up. This is an especially useful service for small-scale theatre designers and schoolteachers, and is regularly used by outside stylists working to a set budget.
To give you an idea of the sort of customers we work with, in 2010, we provided items for all the following;-
ITN Factual, Leica Cameras, Marks and Spencer’s, Sky News.
Costs of Styling Advice;-
Your first 30 minute consultation with us, per individual customer is free-of-charge. This includes trying on as many items as you wish, and reserving costumes for a future hire. If you need to be with us for more than 30 minutes, we make a charge of 35 pounds per new 30 minutes thereafter. This charge is set against your future total hire bill.
For instance; If you are hiring a number of items and it takes you a 90 minute visit to sort them all out, but you don’t take them on the day, we will charge you two lots of 35 pounds, ie 70 pounds, for your Styling support. On the day you take them, the 70 pounds is deducted from your hire fee.
Another example. If you are a couple, going to a party, your first 60 minutes (2 lots of 30), are free of charge. If it takes you longer than 60 minutes to choose your costume, we will charge you 35 pounds for each new 30 minutes thereafter. Again the Styling fee is deducted from your hire fee and is only levied if you do not take a costume after you have been looking for 30 minutes per person.
A customer who needs many costumes is likely to require more than one visit in order to choose the items. We recommend that you telephone us first, so we may discuss options, then come and have an initial look at what we have and whether it will work for you, then return a second time with all the measurements.