Western Costume Co.

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Western Costume Co.

Western Costume Co. At over a century old, Western Costume Company is the oldest and largest costume company in the Unit
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Western Costume Company is a one-stop shop for costume designers, costumers, and stylists. Since the earliest days of Hollywood over a century ago, Western Costume has been an industry mainstay. Whether you work in film, television, theater, commercials, fashion, or are just looking for a Halloween costume, you’ll find what you need in our vast warehouse. The largest costume house in the United St

ates, our all-in-one facility boasts a complete support system for your costume crew, from prep to wrap. Get started in our research library, which offers an extensive collection of dress-related publications. Find the perfect trim in our fabric store, then stop by the Supply Store for Schmere and hangers. Browse our eight miles of rental stock, from prehistory to the 1990s—even the future! If you don’t find what you’re looking for, have it made in our workrooms. Milliners, tailors, and shoemakers: from head to toe, Western Costume has got you covered.

03/13/2025

How it started ➡️ how it’s going. A journey of 2,795 miles, hundreds of boxes, many hardworking costumers, and a dream. We are SO excited to share this new collection with all of you soon! ✨✨

02/11/2025

Did you catch the Texas Pete Hot Sauce commercial during the game yesterday? The debut of the new Texas Pete mascot was big and bold, much like his custom red leather cowboy hat made by our very own McKensi in the Western Costume Hat Shop.

Thank you to Costume Designer for trusting us with this hat and .tv .tv

02/06/2025

Western Costume is proud to be a premier sponsor of the 27th Costume Designers Guild Awards! Congratulations to all the nominees, and we’re looking forward to celebrating with our community tomorrow evening. ✨🥂

01/17/2025

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This Monday Western Costume will be closed in observance of MLK Day. His words remind us of the power of service, kindness, and connection, especially in challenging times like these. We are so grateful for the strength of our community and wish you a weekend filled with peace, hope, and reflection.

01/09/2025

If there’s one thing we’re sure of, it’s that our community takes care of each other.

12/31/2024

Reflecting on a year of creativity, collaboration, and growth—thank you to our clients, friends, and employees who make it all possible. Here’s to an even brighter year ahead. Wishing you all a wonderful New Year! ✨✨

12/12/2024

We’ll be closing at noon on Friday to allow our wonderful crew to celebrate together and kick-off their holiday break. Returns will be available by appointment until December 20th.

11/28/2024

Western Costume Co. will be closed Thursday and Friday for the holiday. We’re thankful for all our incredible clients, employees, and friends, and wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving!
Turkey dancer from CAN CAN (1960) costume design by Irene Sharaff, currently on display in The Collection.

11/06/2024

Western’s Head Patternmaker and Fitter, Kellie di Pietro, is retiring. Kellie has been a valued member of the WCC team for nearly 4 years, and while we will miss her dearly, we’re thrilled for her and her husband as they begin their new chapter. Kellie’s last day at Western will be November 15th. Please stop in and wish her well before then!

10/25/2024

The Western Costume crew is ready for the World Series! 💙

10/22/2024

Western Costume is powering up! ⚡️ We’re excited to announce four new EV chargers exclusively for our clients and employees. Conveniently located next to the Tin Shed, these chargers are part of our ongoing efforts to enhance your experience at Western Costume.

06/21/2024

“The Bikeriders” hits theaters today! Congratulations to Costume Designer Erin Benach, who captured the 60s rough-and-tumble biker style with her gritty, authentic designs. From perusing Danny Lyon photographs in the Research Library to putting on the finishing touches in our Workrooms, we’re thankful you let us be part of this ride!

06/16/2024

Wishing all the dads out there a fabulous day! 👔

06/06/2024

Staff Pick of the Week! ✨ CK Kagawa is a member of our Uniform Department. You can most often find CK in the Insignia Room, where they keep every patch and pin meticulously organized. CK chose a series of WWII insignia for their pick this week. Here’s what CK has to say:

“On the anniversary of D-Day, I thought it would be fitting to pull out some of our WWII-specific unit insignia. Each of these patches tell a story about who these soldiers were and what they did. I picked a personal favorite. My grandfather, Kiyoshi Kagawa, was a US Army translator and is the person who originally sparked my interested in military uniforms. Like many members of the Japanese-American community, I had family serve in the famous all Japanese-American Nisei unit, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. At a time, Japanese-Americans were interred by the US Government at home, but these men still enlisted and served. The 442nd was the most decorated unit of the war, standing by their motto to ‘Go For Broke’. When I was organizing our thousands of US Army unit patches, I was overwhelmed when I found a large bag of 442nd patches. It was a beautiful circle back to listening to my grandfather when I was a kid and helped me identify my own grandfather’s patches that I have kept all these years.”

Thank you for sharing this incredible piece of history, CK!

05/31/2024

Celebrating 35 Years of “Dead Poets Society”! ✨🎬

This weekend marks the 35th anniversary of the iconic “Dead Poets Society,” a movie that continues to inspire and captivate audiences. We’re especially proud to remember our late president, Eddie Marks, who served as the costume supervisor for this masterpiece. Eddie had an extensive career, but he was particularly proud of his work on this film. In honor of Eddie, we invite you to rewatch “Dead Poets Society” this weekend. Carpe diem!

04/26/2024

Staff Pick of the Week! Rosy Almaraz is one of our stock costumers in the Women’s Department. You can most often find her in the Jewelry Room, keeping every bangle and bauble organized. Rosy chose this regal set as her pick this week. Here’s what she has to say:

“I love this set, and I love the color. They were Josephine’s jewels from a musical theater production of ‘Napoleon’ in London. I admired the set when it came to our collection, it was so unique. I always love to see it going out all the time, it’s very popular. When people see it, they get so excited. The green jewels with the pearls are beautiful, it’s so memorable, and it’s still one of my favorites.”

Gorgeous choice, Rosy! 👑

04/18/2024

Staff Pick of the Week! Lizzie Brandt, Manager of The Collection here at Western Costume, chose this playful piece has her pick this week. Here’s what Lizzie has to say:

“My pick is a fantastic c.1920s playsuit in The Collection. A jaunty jumpsuit in delicate silk, featuring long billowing sleeves and outrageously wide legs embellished in the happiest hand-stitched appliques. The silhouette reminds me of a few of my favorite things… Pierrot, the heartbroken clown of commedia dell’arte, often depicted sitting on a slice of the Moon with a single teardrop, dollybird model and style icon Twiggy in the 1971 Ken Russell film, “The Boy Friend,” David Bowie on stage in cosmic mime splendor, old European carnivals and street performer troupes, marionettes, charming handmade Halloween costumes paired with ballet slippers, legendary London fashion brand, Biba… Don’t we all have a jumpsuit of our dreams?“

Thank you for this thoughtful choice, Lizzie! ✨✨

02/09/2024

Last night’s panel, “How the West was Worn” was a masterclass in the art of Western costume designs. Moderated by the incredible Cate Adair in conversation with costume designers Antoinette Messam (“The Harder They Fall”), Isis Mussenden (“Lawmen: Bass Reeves”), Patia Prouty (“Justified” 2011-2014), and Mary Zophres (“True Grit”). Western Costume Co. was honored to collaborate with the Costume Designers Guild and The Autry Museum on this event. Western Costume got its start costuming Hollywood’s earliest silent Western films – hence the name, Western Costume – so this one was particularly close to our hearts.

Address

11041 Vanowen Street
Los Angeles, CA
91605

Website

http://www.westerncostume.com/

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Videos

Something big is coming, and we can’t wait to share it with you…

A pair of Dorothy’s ruby slippers is going up for auction tomorrow! The shoes, designed by Costume Designer Gilbert Adrian, were purchased as plain white silk pumps from the Innes Shoe Company, and brought to Western Costume shoe maker Joe Napoli. Napoli dyed the shoes and carefully applied over 2,300 sequins per shoe. When Napoli painstakingly sewed each sequin onto the slippers in 1938, he had no way of knowing the historical significance his labor would hold decades later. Western Costume Company is proud to be part of the story of these incredible shoes, and more than 85 years after the release of The Wizard of Oz, we remain as dedicated as ever to crafting the costumes that bring stories to life. ❤️✨

Check out the newest section of our website: the Video Vault. Tour our old Melrose building, see the workrooms, and meet the staff in this archive of company videos from the 1950s to the 2010s—maybe you’ll even spot a few familiar faces! www.WesternCostume.com/video-vault

This morning, Sunday, January 9, at 10am PST @mandiline will be speaking with Costume Designer Sharon Long! Sharon’s beautiful work can be see on Hulu’s The Great. Be sure to tune in for the interview on Instagram Live!

The Emmys are around the corner! Join @mandiline for a conversation with Emmy-nominated Costume Designer Meghan Kasperlik! @mkcostumes is known for her designs on the dystopian police drama WATCHMEN (2019 series), and has impressed everyone again with the relatable contemporary costume design on MARE OF EASTTOWN (2021). We can’t wait to tune in on Instagram and listen to the conversation between Mandi and Meghan, this Saturday August 28th at noon!

Join @mandiline for a conversation with Academy Award winning Costume Designer Jenny Beaven! Jenny is an absolute legend, and we can’t wait to hear her conversation with Mandi. Don’t miss it tomorrow, July 24th, at 11 am PST on Instagram Live!

We’re thrilled that @mandiline is back with her Creative Conversations with Costume Designers! Tune into her live conversation with @jeriana the Costume Designer of Netflix’s HALSTON this Sunday, May 24th, at 4pm PST (7pm EST). Save the date and watch live on @mandiline’s Instagram!

Tune in tomorrow, January 16th, at 12 pm PST @mandiline for a new #behindtheseams with @phoellow! Phoenix Mellow is a CDG Award nominated designer who has designed music videos, television shows, and her most recent work is @sylvieslove. We’re also very proud to say that Phoenix was once the work room coordinator here at Western Costume Co. and we’re so pleased to watch her career keep blossoming! Tune in to watch @mandiline and @phoellow tomorrow!

Tune in Saturday, January 2nd, at 12pm pst @mandiline when costume designer Ellen Mirojnick returns for a new #behindtheseams to discuss her fabulous designs for @BridgertonNetflix! She’ll be answering all your burning questions about creating the look for the hot new show. Be sure to check out their conversation Saturday, January 2nd, at 12pm pst on #instalive @mandiline! . #hangout #costumedesign @cdglocal892 @byellenm

Tune in on Instagram tomorrow, November 21st, at 12 pm PST @mandiline for a #behindtheseams with four-time Emmy-winning Costume Designer Tom Broecker @bro_ker326. Were you one of the many people who watched Maya Rudolf as Kamala Harris on SNL and wondered how the heck they got that white suit so quickly? Tom has the answer to that and more #behindtheseams information, with experience costume designing a whopping 23 seasons of SNL, 30 Rock, and so much more. Be sure to check out their conversation tomorrow, November 21st, at 12 pm PST on #instalive @mandiline!

Tune in to Instagram on Wednesday at 12:30pm pst @mandiline for a Behind the Seams with costume designer Sharen Davis! Sharen's designs can be seen in films such as THE HELP (2011), DJANGO UNCHAINED (2012), DREAMGIRLS (2006), and RAY (2004). She has earned 2 Oscar nominations for her work, and is currently nominated for an Emmy for her designs for WATCHMEN. Be sure to check out their conversation Wednesday, August 12th, at 12:30 pst on Instagram Live @mandiline!

Tune in to Instagram tomorrow at 2pm pst @mandiline for a Behind the Seams with costume designer Marina Toybina! Marina’s work can be seen in The Masked Singer and So You Think You Can Dance. Be sure to check out their conversation tomorrow, July 24th, at 2 pst on Instagram Live @mandiline!