A LITTLE too early for thet
ghoulish feeling? Still hoping to
catch a few summer rays?

If you haven’: done your Hal-
floween shopping yet, it's time to
get cracking.

The Oct. 31 die-hards have al-
ready been haunting junk stores,
used clothing shops and rental
costume oudets for the past
month in search of the ultimare
spooky eget-up. And Carol Ahern
of Carol’s Costume Corner is
bracing herself for the onslaught.

She's been stocking up on the
latest. frightening attire to satisfy
the demands of the Halloween
faithful.

This year the really hot
costumes will be snapped up be-
fore you can say trick or treat.
Say goodbye to Batman, to the
Joker. Enter Dick Tracy, Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles and the
Phantom of the Opera.

“Halloween is absolutely huge
in our business,’’ says Ahern of
her rental costume store, which
occupies a Lower Lonsdale
Avenue walk-up. ‘1 thought I was
busy my first Halloween, but the
next year I rented 300 costumes
and 700 the next.""

If you think business dries up
after Nov. 1, think again. Ahern’s
enterprise makes a healthy living
all year ‘round. Her modest shop
is jam-packed full of parrot
costumes, complete with head and

Wednesday. September 12, 1990 -

By Evelyn Jacob
News Reporter

rubber beak, star fish and crab
ouvit, Hawaiian grass skirts,
western attire, °30s and ‘40s poo-
die skirts and dresses, thousands
of hats, wigs, swords, scary
masks, plastic noses and fright
gloves — 5,000 costumes and uec-
cessories in all.

“Five years ago we began with
75 costumes. And this is what
happened,"’ laughs Ahern, throw-
ing up hee arms.

When she's not tending the
hordes at Halloween, Ahern and
staff are designing and supplying
costumes for masquerades: typi-
cally, Christmas office parties,
conventions, parades and com-
munity festivals.

One of her most
masquerades was a party
by business mogul Jimmy
tison.

“He (Pattison) ordered
costumes for 100 presidents. We
put the costumes in garbage bags,
and cach president had to wear
what was in the bag. Pattison
ended up in a black and = red
jJester’s outfit.”

She also designs and rents
wardrobes to. theatre companies.
Carol's Costumes was actually
born out of a North Shore Light

memorable
hosted
Pat-

North Shore News - 39

Opera production called Desert
Song. Ahern was called in to sup-
ply only turbans, but ended up
doing it all — flapper costumes,
Arabian garb and soldiers’
uniforms.

She has designed costumes for
North Shore Light’ Opera every
year since, in addition to Theatre
Under the Stars, Metro Theatre,
the Western Canadian Theatre
Company, West Vancouver Sec-
ondary School Theatre and tnost
of the local North Shore theatre
companies.

One of the big advantages
Carol’s Costume Corner enjoys
over other rental outlets is the
ability to provide coordinated
stock. So, if a theatre requests all
1920s-style garb, Ahern can most
likely produce it.

‘“*We've collected a real
hodgepodge of costumes over the
years. We give companies picture
books of period costumes so they
can choose outfits that look coor-
dinated.”*

The butk of her merchandise is
created by a team of seamstresses,
and her staff is always on the
lookout for interesting clothes and
fabric.

“| have one woman who scouts
tummage sales for me,’' she
chuckles. :

And after five years of running
a successful business, Ahern can't
disguise her delight.

NEWS photo Stuart Davis
CAROL AHERN is getting ready fer the big day — Oct.31. Here
she is surrounded by a selection of popular masks and
costumes. According to Ahern, Cleopatra is her cest seller.

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