As a child I always envied our neighbor, Ruthie Walkendorfer. She was, in truth, an unlikely source of envy. As I remember her she was a small, very self assured child with dark hair that framed her face like a bubble. Her black eyeglasses were almost as big as she was, with lenses as thick as the bottom of a Coke bottle. Those glasses could have just meant that she was blind as a bat … but in her case they indicated that she was brainy. In our neighborhood, that girl was “the sharpest knife in the drawer.”
That’s not why I envied her; I wanted her mother! That’s not to say that I didn’t adore my own mother, but Ruthie’s momma let her play dress up!
In a closet, she had a large chest full of clothes. Not just ordinary cast offs, either … they were costumes. We could pull out that chest any time we wanted and be anyone we wanted to be.
If we wanted to do so, we could be a geisha, for there was a Japanese kimono and the shoes that went with it. There were ball gowns and tiaras and high heeled shoes if our tastes ran to being a princess. But, there was a sailor suit, cowboy chaps and boots, a tuxedo with tails (and a top hat), and pirate costumes as well. We could pretend to be boys if we wanted!
Ruthie’s momma knew that children flourish when they have the opportunity to try on different personas. The memories of that dress up chest have stayed with me over the years. I think it played a part in my choice of profession. As a storyteller, I can pretend to be anyone … and I don’t even have to wear a costume!
That doesn’t stop me from loving a certain costume shop here in Denton. At Rose Costumes Shop, I can try on any hat I want!
The place has been in business for thirty years, and the building is HUGE. It’s stuffed with any costume that you can imagine. Wanna be nun? You can dress like one. Or, you can deck yourself out as hooker. You can dress like a pirate or you can pretend to be Cleopatra. Elvira, Little Bo Peep, Austin Powers, James Bond … name it and they’ve got it!
If any place in the world will spark the creativity of my inner child (my Muse), this place is it! It’s not just the costumes that intrigue me, it’s the decor. I’ve talked to you about the bathroom before, which looks like Sherlock Holmes study, but the dressing rooms are fabulous, too. Everywhere you turn is another fantasy world.
Even the employees get into the act. I want the boots this girl is wearing!
I’ll tell you right now that if you come to my neck of the woods you should save a couple of hours to wander through the shop. Maybe even try on a costume or two. Most of the costumes are rentals, but there are quite a few that you can buy outright, if you find you simply must have it.
Every time I go there, I fantasize about getting to work there! If I were not a storyteller, this would be my second choice. Did you get to play dress up when you were a kid? If you didn’t, it’s not too late! Their billboard asks, “Who do you want to be?” If you got to visit, what costume would you try?
I’ll be the pirate you see prancing around the place. “Yaargh.”
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You have such great things in your “neck of the woods”! Texas must be fascinating. I can’t see a store like that even opening here! You should dress up in a hooker costume and pose with your crochet squares for an ad for Share A Square!
I actually have a post I’m working on about something in my neck of the woods, the very first McDonald’s franchise. It’s still up as a museum. I was by there the other evening and my pictures aren’t so great. Want to go back in daylight and get some better ones before I post it and play along
The hooker idea is a great one, but I don’t think I’m the right “material.” Maybe you can pose?
I love your McDonald’s franchise. Thanks for posting it.
This brings back one of my happiest memories. The year I was consigned to an all girls school while my parents hashed out the messiness of a divorce, I was cast in that years Christmas play as Fanny, sister to the young Ebenezer Scrooge. Her dark green velvet floor length gown was enough to almost turn me into an actress and at least a show off with my one line, “Oh Ebbie, you are to come home. Father is so much nicer than he used to be.” Poured my heart and soul into that one line on one night.
Should you happen to find a rich velvet, Victorian gown anywhere in their hidey holes please let me know.
There are rich Victorian gowns ALL OVER the place at Rose Costume. You simply must come to visit. You wouldn’t want to leave.
Amazing that you remember your line still
Aye Matey, me be liken’ the pirate maidens. Can share the rum, pint by pint.
Looks like a fun place. One very similar in Las Cruces, NM. Trying to remember the name, but I’m too old, I’ll have to come see the one in Texas!
Peace.
You MUST come to Texas. You can be a pirate with me. But, I like ale, not rum … can I still be a pirate?
One Christmas when my daughters were quite young and our income was quite low, their biggest Christmas gift — from Santa, of course — was a trunk filled with clothes and accessories from Goodwill. It turned out to be the very best gift for many years running, and one that was used for even more years than that. Your post has inspired me to visit Goodwill to pick up a trunk’s worth of BOY dress-up clothes and such to offer my grandson when he next visits. Thank you!
Amazingly, Lisa, my great nieces turned up their noses at a dress up box when they visited. They didn’t want to wear clothes that were too big (because stores now sell costumes in their own sizes). Sigh. Everything has gotten too commercial.
I was fortunate to be able to dress up as a child – maybe not having as many costumes as your friend, but nonetheless a large array of shoes and ‘grown up dresses”.
Even now, I love going to fancy dress parties. My favorite is a 60′s party, and having many friends of that vintage, we have had a few over the years. Even my husband had fun being a hippy again
I like being a hippy, too! Colorful and fun. You were lucky to get to play dressup!
I was fortunate enough to have a respectable collection of dress-ups, including a red velvet bridesmaid’s gown with sweetheart neckline from some wedding my mom had been in. I also had a cowGIRL outfit in which I delighted to play Dale Evans, Queen of the West. But my friend, S, was given one of those trunks full of Goodwill finery by her mom, and we were set for life. We happened to be growing up in a place where the Civil War and the Revolutionary War were both still more-or-less current events, so we spent a lot of time being colonial ladies or southern ladies. To our credit, we also re-enacted Shakespeare plays lifted from Charles and Mary Lamb. And we certainly produced many plays of our own. It had the advantage of turning us into real students of history later on, and it was lots of fun in any case. My favorite gown (after the red velvet number) was a purple taffeta confection that made me feel very mature. The only thing I didn’t have that I wanted was a pair of fancy Western boots to go with my cowgirl outfit. I still want a pair.
Sounds like a fun childhood, Anne! You were able to use your imagination to the fullest.
I’m not going to brag that I have a pair of cowgirl boots that would have you salivating, because I’ve lived in Texas all my life, and I JUST now got a pair!
I’m thinking I’ve probably gotten a bit too pudgy to look good in Western boots. But that doesn’t stop me from wanting a pair.
These are men’s boots … very fancy black & red. I love it that they have already been “broken in.” Actually, they are much more comfortable than I thought they would be. Get some!
I finally finished my “My Neck of The Woods” entry. Nowhere near as entertaining as yours
One day, I’ll stumble across something really cool, I just know it!
It was a FUN post!! Whaddaya mean not as entertaining as mine? Silly girl.
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