Pressure to get a costume

Hi I've worked more public events. But now I've been marketing more and I'm getting leads, but I am feeling the pressure to get a princess costume. I don't have one currently. I do princess designs and offer princess related activities, but do you think I need to bite the bullet and just get a princess costume? There are so many I'm overwhelmed.

Why? Who is pressuring you? Potential customers?

If people ask me to do "characters" I ask them why? Sometimes it is a theme party - last one I dealt with was "princesss"... they really pushed me about it but I just told them that I could paint princess designs, have princess stickers, but I was not able to dress as a princess and explained that over-weight, menopausal, middle aged women do NOT make good princesses.

I face paint, I don't do other activities.

If you are offering "princess" activities then maybe a costume would enhance your offerings and you could charge more for being in character.

Go for a generic princess look as I would avoid anything Disney-ish due to possible licensing issues.

I will, on occasion, if they pay $50/hour more, dress in character but I don't advertise it - clown, fairy godmother, alien, vampire, gypsy, etc. But I don't "perform" just paint.

Thanks, Shannon.

Yeah, Shannon nailed it... There is no need to wear a costume.... but if you like to go along with the theme of your party, just incorporate one iconic item maybe... i.e., a tiara for a princess party, a jolly roger head scarf or paint a jolly roger on your own cheek for a pirate party..... or, just pass out theme related stickers and wear one yourself....

LOL! Shannon hit the nail on the head for me. I have a bunch of head dress type of things like animal ears for a jungle theme or a fairy crown but I AM NO PRINCESS! I wear my company t-shirt, jeans or slacks, bright blue bar apron for my phone, cards and car keys and usually clogs because I stand to paint. I do usually have some type of face paint on to match the theme but that's only if I have enough time.

I admire people who can stay in character for that long. I would have a hard time doing it...I get so into the painting and have been a mommy for so long that I get a little mommy deaf at parties and usually only pay attention to the person in the chair (and I don't want to forget a tiger nose ever again!)

D.

Lol to the previous replies! I agree - if you want to offer princess parties with full costume, go for it. If you don't want that hassle, then it's not worth your time because who wants to dread dressing up for an event? If you're awesome at sewing and could make a rocking dress on the cheap, why not? I don't like spending lots of $$ on costumes when painting is my forte. I probably won't go the Disney princess route personally, but I do have a renaissance costume that can double for a queen or some other looks.

Here's my princess/fairy story:
While I do offer some costumes because I already have them, I leave a range on my website for cost, no specifics. If someone asks about a costume I don't have but think I could put together, or if I don't really feel like dressing up, I will quote a high price to that client. If they bite, then they have bought the costume for me plus my fee.

This happened with someone requesting a fairy costume. They bit on the high price and I made myself a pair of wings (thanks Metzpah!!, pics below), and stressed a little bit about the rest of the costume, but pulled it together.

Come the day of the party, I arrive in full fairy regalia only to have the mom inform me that precious daughter changed her mind the day before to a Finding Nemo theme, lol! Luckily, I collect those fees prior to the event so I was paid, but I was definitely an out-of-place fairy in a school of fish. Luckily, the party hostess and birthday girl loved it.

Easy-peasy airbrushed wings from www.facepaintforum.com/t3034-fairy-wing-tutorial

Nobody has ASKED me to dress up to face paint. Having said that...my friends seem to find the most amazing leopard pants for the best prices. They buy them "for me" and then borrow them. I do wear odd things to face paint in, because I want to stand apart from the servers, and wacky colors/prints hide my messy paint/glitter spills.
I have the definitive proof that I am not a princess....
Quite a few years ago, my husband, Tim asked me if I knew where the remote control for the TV was. I rolled over and told him I did not know where it was and I went back to sleep. In the morning, I walked past the mirror and there, imprinted upon my left upper arm and back was the impression of the TV remote in my skin. I was sleeping on the remote and I did not know it. I sadly told Tim I was sleeping on the remote. He told me that it was OK, he just got up and changed the channel. I said, "You don't understand, I was SLEEPING on the remote and I DID NOT KNOW IT!!! That means I'm NOT a princess!" Tim said, "That's OK, you're still my Queen."
I know I am not a princess, so I cannot wear a costume.

Had the same problem with Fairy's.
I have searched and searched and I have no inner fairy.
I doooo however have a pirate! I found her when pushed to wear a costume for a gig.... still need to work on my pirate speak though. I thought I would hate costumes but rather enjoyed walking around the huge event and having parents ask to have pictures taken with their kids!


So i say search for your inner princess - if you find one - dress her up and enjoy it.... otherwise enjoy being you!

Fairy Godmother I can handle... I've played her three times on stage, and I've been the Queen of Hearts in Alice. Basically they are both just me with the filters turned off... I can be nasty to the bothersome little things and they think I'm funny.

I recently added a pirate (tampa!) and a princess (generic goodwill finds). I have increased my bookings significantly, I was being asked every time if I do princess or what costumes we offer. The kids absolutely love it and it is actually pretty fun. I charge $30.00 extra per party for it so it pays for itself regularly, not much work anyway. If it helps me get work I am all for it, I don't like cheesy costumes but I think princess is pretty easy (for me anyway). I might add a fairy sometime soon but that is later down the line. I think I spent a total of $25.00 on my entire costume, bedazzled it myself, had the shoes and got a crown. Pretty simple and great add on. Just don't do a specific princess as you will get yelled at by Disney. Good luck if you do it, if you don't, don't worry about it!

Thanks, this has been helpful to me as well since I have been thinking about the same thing. Again, overweight, middle age, menopausal - just NOT a pretty princess picture (this is ME I am talking about). LOL

MariasFF&BA wrote: Again, overweight, middle age, menopausal - just NOT a pretty princess picture (this is ME I am talking about). LOL

Better be!

I was booked for a fairy party in the end of summer... I am working on puling a costume together... I am actually looking forward to it. (Plus she is paying an extra $50!)

I have a little girl, 15mths... loves all the pretty dress up stuff... so we are girly around here!

Do what makes you happy, (and what makes you money!)

LOLOL Shannon, all I could picture with this was the Queen of Heart from Alice in Wonderland "Off with their Heads" Banishing a paint brush. LOLOLOL

Shannon Fennell wrote:Why? Who is pressuring you? Potential customers?

If people ask me to do "characters" I ask them why? Sometimes it is a theme party - last one I dealt with was "princesss"... they really pushed me about it but I just told them that I could paint princess designs, have princess stickers, but I was not able to dress as a princess and explained that over-weight, menopausal, middle aged women do NOT make good princesses.

I face paint, I don't do other activities.

If you are offering "princess" activities then maybe a costume would enhance your offerings and you could charge more for being in character.

Go for a generic princess look as I would avoid anything Disney-ish due to possible licensing issues.

I will, on occasion, if they pay $50/hour more, dress in character but I don't advertise it - clown, fairy godmother, alien, vampire, gypsy, etc. But I don't "perform" just paint.

I had a client ask about costumes once and a bunch of them asked about packages with costume and tiaras and all that jazz... I'm looking into it

Lately I have been thinking I may make more of a point of promoting the costume aspect... In the past 6 months several new painters have started up and are seriously undercutting me - like by 70%!!!

I have no interest in resurrecting my clown persona due to the time required to do my make-up but I can dress up (sigh)... Guess I need to do a photo shoot of me as all my alter-egos to put on the interwebs...

Just post the pics here, I'm sure we'd all like to help and VOTE!

Whenever I get princess party requests I refer the customer to an actress friend of mine who is a FANTASTIC party princess. It doesn't happen too often, so I don't feel like I'm missing out on a ton of business, and I know they are getting good quality. I don't feel the need to offer something in a mediocre way when I know there are other people who could do it way better than me! I might consider dressing up in a costume (never actually been asked to dress in theme!) but I wouldn't "act".