Easter Costume: Sales Are on the Rise Despite the economy, sales of Easter costumes have continued to rise over the last ten years.  People are increasingly celebrating Easter in a number of festive ways that go far beyond a simple church service.  There are now Easter parades, Easter egg hunts, and even costume contests at parties, all with an Easter theme in mind.  An Easter Costume is an excellent way to celebrate and have fun during the holiday.   The most popular Easter costume by far is still the Easter Bunny.  You can find simple children's costumes that are made of plush jumpsuits with hoods that feature attached ears that are perfect for playing dress up.  But the most popular costumes are the Easter Bunny suits made for adults.  These are often purchased and used year after year by businesses such as malls.  They usually have someone in an Easter Bunny outfit scheduled for the weeks leading up to Easter so that doting parents can have their children's picture taken with the Easter Bunny.   Of course, you can also find more adult oriented Easter Bunny costumes for women that look like a cross between the Easter Bunny and a club bunny.  These are great for costume parties or other events where kids won't be in attendance.     Another category of costume is reserved for religious costumes.  Millions of devout Christians put on Easter plays, Passion plays, or pageants for the faithful each year.  These range from simple little skits put on by a Sunday School class to elaborate, professional productions of the story of Christ that include huge casts and months of practice.  For these productions, costumes are needed in every shape and size.   For the most basic of Easter plays, several different costumes will be needed, including Jesus, Mary, some of the disciples, a Roman Centurion, Pilate, and various other figures from the biblical Easter story.  Townspeople, Mary Magdalene, Joseph of Arimathea and various other characters may also be needed.   The days when old sheets were ripped up for makeshift costumes are long gone.  Today's churches often invest in a standard assortment of costumes that can be mixed and matched to suit their needs from season to season.  A few Roman soldiers, a few rich, Roman citizens such as a Caesar and his wife, several shepherds, some wise men and a few angels usually make up a complete costume assortment for church's and other organizations that enjoy putting on both full length religious plays and short skits throughout the year.   An Easter costume used to be fairly basic, consisting of a robe, belt and perhaps a pair of sandals.  But with the increasing interest in religious costumes, retailers are now offering some versions that are quite elaborate.  They are also offering more accessories to complete the outfits for greater authenticity and interest.  You can buy shepherd's crooks, swords, wigs, and even lovely costume jewelry pieces to adorn wealthy Roman ladies.  These extra touches can transform a standard costume into a truly impressive one.   If you're going to be purchasing costumes for your church or organization, keep in mind that over the years the various characters will be played by different people.  Look for costumes that are generously cut and come in either “one size fits all” or that run small, medium and large.  This way you can invest in costumes that can be worn by people of various builds.  A costume for Mary in a size 8 may look great on this year's actress, but next year you'll have to give the role to anyone who wears a size 8, which is very limiting.   Don't forget that accessories can make a huge difference in the look of an Easter costume.  If you are doing a children's play, let the kids have the fun of really dressing for their parts.  Arm bands, jewelry, swords, shepherd's crooks, and sandals will all add something to the show and get your youngest actors excited.  Added By WOA Member Email WOA Member Category Fashion Author WOA Member Added On 27 January 2010