Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., March 14, 2008 Adar2 8, 5768 | | Israel Time: 03:02 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Care to dance, Madame Bovary? By Rina Rozenberg Tags: purim For the kids, Purim is terrific fun, and they're relatively easy to please. Throw together a genuine plastic crown, an obnoxiously dyed feather boa, a puffed-sleeve princess dress and fairy wings, and Daughter is ecstatically tricked out as Fairy Princess Flamingo, while Son is happy with his Spiderman mask and sword. Or not. But what about yourself? It turns out that about 40% of Israel's adults will be dressing up this Purim, and many of them want something original, if only for the sake of winning the contest and prize breakfast at the corner kiosk. The most conventional solution is to try the local toy store, such as Kfar Hashashu'im, Toys R Us and the like, and buy a generic costume for adults. Sexy policewoman, zebra, cat, vampire chick and Egyptian princess can be found in just about every size for prices that range from NIS 70 to NIS 120, including accessories. But what if you can't bear the idea of showing up in the tired old rabbit ears, or eye-patch and faux scar, with stuffed parrot sans beak sagging on your shoulder? You may find succor in one of the special costume warehouses near your home. Advertisement Actually, these costume warehouses operate year-round, supplying the movie industry, television shows and theater plays. They're for professionals, not the general public. But come the month of Adar, these institutions throw open their doors for the common good. Most will only rent a costume, not sell one, but a few will part with their treasure for the right price. "Our team of tailors and seamstresses make most of these themselves," says Avraham Luria, who owns the Lev 1 Costume Warehouse (http://www.lev1.co.il/english.html). "Some we buy abroad, but in general these aren't costumes, they're genuine, special articles of clothing." The Lev 1 Costumes Warehouse dates from the 1950s. Located on Ben Yehuda Street in Tel Aviv, it is a huge place, occupying 300 square meters crammed with colorful outfits. All the clothing items are designed according to precise sketches from the period in question, says Luria, and are made using the cloth of the era. If you're the nostalgic type you can even find original items of clothing a 100 years old, but you can't touch them, let alone rent them. Those are for viewing only. You don't have to buy the complete French Milkmaid c. 1716 or Venetian Judge 1602. You can make up your own costume at the Givat Haim Ichud costumes warehouse, picking and choosing among the products. "Most of our clients don't just walk in, choose a costume and leave," says owner Anat Shavit. "They choose this shirt, those trousers, a nip and tuck here or there, and leave confident that they'll be the belle of the ball, or the master of the dance." The costume warehouses do not object to phoned-in orders and delivery, but strongly prefer not to handle them, mainly because costumes often need adjustment, which can only be done at the warehouse premises. Also, if you can't choose, the warehouse staff will be happy to help you out and accessorize the look. The warehouses report that they get thousands of customers each year, and by the way, they do business year-round. It's been known for a man to rent a knight's gear, presumably without the lance, to propose marriage. Also, cregular ompanies may rent costumes for a special staff party, presumably to ward off the scene of 20 Spidermen swinging from the chandelier as they try to win the favors of the 20 sexy policewomen on the dance floor. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Hezbollah scare Lebanese group's influence has dramatically increased in the West Bank. Literary boycott Peres calls Muslim countries' shunning of Paris Book Fair 'most ridiculous.'

Today Online Abbas accuses Israel of 'ethnic cleansing' in Jerusalem Responses: 218 At least 30 Qassam rockets fired into Israel from Gaza since Wed. Responses: 172 Amira Hass: PA officials should act more like Gandhi Responses: 75 Poll: Half of Jewish public oppose Arabs in their neighborhoods Responses: 127 Wagner show in Nazi-era hall to raise funds for Ramallah venue Responses: 81 More Headlines 22:40 At least 30 Qassam rockets fired into Israel from Gaza since Wed. 22:13 Israel Bank intervenes in foreign currency market, buys dollars 01:35 Israel and France have a second honeymoon as Peres visits Sarkozy 02:39 Deputy TA mayor: Gov't reneges on promise to help refugees 01:01 Police arrest rabbi for 'inciting Palestinians' in East Jerusalem 20:56 Jerusalem yeshiva commemorates 8 students slain in terror attack 19:07 Ban: Israel must halt 'excessive force' against Palestinians 02:22 Jerusalem parents held in suspicion of torturing 3- and 4-year-old boys 02:48 Israel falls behind the times in having woman parliamentarians 22:23 Abbas accuses Israel of committing 'ethnic cleansing' in Jerusalem 00:43 Rubinstein competition / Exalted strokes outweigh the flaws 23:17 Traffic cop jailed for shooting at drivers who refused to pull over 20:38 Two Kiryat Ata men arrested for attacking Arab workers Previous Editions Select Day 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb

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