My office is planning an event which encourages coming dressed with a theme or full costume. Being budget conscious, I figured I might be able to put something together without going full out for a rental outfit or buy one which would be passe’ if worn twice. I had an appropriately themed shirt and hoodie which would serve well (and which made a store employee very happy when I bought them), but I knew there was more I could do and still not bust my budget.
Since my schedule had me going to Philadelphia, I checked out some options by searching online for costume shops. The perfect answer came up instantly in the form of Baum’s, a Philadelphia staple for dance which also advertises costume ideas. I’m familiar with Baum’s; as a little ballerina at dance school, our slippers and outfits came from Baum’s. The air of nostalgia washed over me as I walked into their store.
It took the sales representative about ten seconds to flog nostalgia to death.
After about 35 years off pointe, I guess I don’t look like the typical ballet customer, but it would not have hurt the lady standing by a display case courting achy feet and no sales to go to some effort. I was pleasant and enthusiastic, but in return I received lukewarm involvement from her and little hope of finding anything worthwhile.
While browsing about the store, hoping for some revival of spirit from my disinterested salesperson, I came upon a skirt which looked promising, and I had visions of how I could add a pair of tights. All they had was black and pink, she replied. Come on, what ever happened to dancewear in colors, for goodness sake?
Baum’s lost, but so did I. I won’t be going to the event in costume, and they won’t have a bigger sales tally when they add up the day’s potential paycheck money. What a shame.
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