Fantasy Costumes Headquarters may never compete with Disney World, but it’s a block-long wonderland packed with everything from the sublime to the ridiculous. The sublime includes Mardi Gras ensembles with brilliantly hued sequined and feathered masks; faux-jewel-encrusted velvet Renaissance costumes for bride, groom, and attendants; and a black-and-white Ascot outfit like the one worn by Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. As for the ridiculous, this is the place to find lamp-shade hats, gorilla suits, and gag items.
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Fantasy Costumes Headquarters is where Dennis Rodman hung out before the Bulls died. It’s where Diana Ross orders her wigs and Elvis impersonators get new costumes to replace sweat-rotted ruins. (The store dry-cleans but it can’t work miracles.) If you’re just looking to spice up your everyday wardrobe, case the cool collection of vintage eyeglasses. There’s also a new line of bun-revealing clothing, in, as with everything in the store, a complete range of sizes. What they don’t have can be made to order.
Custom Wigs Ltd. has its own section. It’s where the American Cancer Society sends chemotherapy patients; hairdresser John Lanzendorf regularly styles the wigs for customers. More than 30,000 are available, along with hairpieces, extensions, toupees, beards, and mustaches. Both synthetic and human hair can be had in every imaginable color–including gray. Interestingly enough, the synthetics look the most natural.
