The costume craze is making a comeback | VAT News<

After a year without a Halloween party, Quebecers were excited to dress up this year.

“It started in the last few weeks, the return of people who want to dress up,” explains Alexe Bégin, employee and future owner of Ponton Costumes. "Yesterday we had a huge day, we had more than twice the number of customers than in previous years."

• Read also: IN IMAGES | Automated horror scenes for Halloween

• Also Read: The Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes

Joseph Ponton opened the costume rental shop that bears his name in 1865.

“He was a barber who was very fond of the art of costume, and he started a personal collection in the back room of his barbershop,” says Ms. Bégin. “He decided to open a rental shop for small theater troupes in Montreal.”

In the collection on Ste-Catherine Street East in Montreal, it is estimated that there are approximately 15,000 costumes of all kinds, from period dresses to superhero costumes.

“We focus on quality, so we have costumes that can be rented from $75 to $150, and that’s for the complete set,” notes Ms. Bégin.

Pancake Day 2018: How to make perfect pancake batter with lemon and sugar - https://t.co/pi0ST7yVtB - #Britain … https://t.co/87m5etfrkL

— Britain Today Wed Feb 21 09:53:08 +0000 2018

The pandemic hurt Ponton Costumes, which had to close its doors for several weeks.

“We were unemployed, without clients, without income for a very long time,” says Ms. Bégin. “So there, we are relieved to see that there is a very great demand at the moment.”

The store would have closed if there was no economic recovery. "It was pretty much our last chance, and we've been here since 1865, so it's important to preserve our costumes," explains Ms. Bégin.

The costumes in the shop come from different sources, whether it's costume designers or film sets, for example.

The most popular costumes vary depending on what's new in TV shows and movies, but pirates, period costumes and superheroes are all the rage.

In addition, Ms. Bégin has noticed that people are more careful than in the past when it comes to their choice of costume.

“Of course there is a political or ethical question that arises,” she says. “I think everything is being done with respect right now.”

In addition to Halloween, the young woman notices that costume rentals have picked up again for film shoots, plays and music videos.