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.

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.

01/12/2024

Congratulations to all the incredible nominees of the 26th Costume Designers Guild Awards! 🎉🎉

01/08/2024

Western Costume Company is proud to introduce Gilbert Moussally as our newly appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. Gilbert joined Western in 2018 as the head of the Uniform Department, assuming the role of Vice President of Operations shortly thereafter. His impressive background in the industry, costuming knowledge, and business expertise made him the natural successor to the late Eddie Marks. As we embark on the new chapter under Gilbert’s leadership of this 112-year-old company, there is confidence in his ability to guide Western Costume towards continued success.

12/18/2023

We’ll be closing early on Wednesday, December 20th and reopening January 2nd with a return to regular operating hours of 8 am to 6 pm. Happy Holidays!

Address

11041 Vanowen Street
Los Angeles, CA
91605

Website

http://www.westerncostume.com/

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Videos

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. ❤️✨