Jeudi

Photos courtesy Miss Claudia

by Emma Boyce

It’s that time of year again.  Hocus Pocus on every channel.  Finishing a bag of mini-sized kit-kats before the first trick or treaters even ring the bell.  And the one thing on everyone’s mind is: what will I wear!

Since the traditional white sheet with eye slits went out of style decades ago and sewing has fallen though the cracks with the current generation, many turn to costume shops for help.

Miss Claudia’s Vintage Clothing & Costume Shop (4204 Magazine) is one of many costume shops, aiding frantic Halloween hopefuls in their search for the ultimate costume. According to Miss Claudia Baumgarten herself feathers are the talk of the town. 

“We have a lot of feathery stuff that seems very popular,” says Baumgarten.  “People come looking for bird costumes, ostriches.”  

Miss Claudia’s costume shop covers offers a wide variety of options from the basics selling tights in every color for the Halloween cold front on the horizon to the very intricate accessories that make a costume.       

“We sell a lot of headbands with feathers on them and turbans handmade in Las Vegas,” she says.  

The list continues with petticoats, feather fans, a particularly popular velvet coat and bustles in different styles and colors.  Miss. Claudia’s clothes, like many odd New Orleans shops, offers a mix of Victorian and funky.   

“We have been selling, for men, zorro masks and venetian masks. We [also] have a fabulous fleur de lis jacket,” says Baumgarten. 

The heaviest foot traffic for Miss Claudia comes around Halloween and of course Mardi Gras when the colors are less morose and more flamboyant.  

With Halloween right around the corner, check out Miss Claudia’s and, if you want to stay in the loop, wear feathers.