I need some very low cost (25.00$ or less) costumes for a group of girls who will be dressed as toy soldiers.
It doesn't have to be full costume - they can add leotard and pants if needed (but prefer not to have to add both). I need a large size range. Group varies from Child Medium-Adult Large sizes.

I was considering using the toy soldier kit from Curtain Call, but am not completely happy with the look it has - They have to look like boys (so no skirts) and will be using the costumes for both a tap and jazz dance.

Does anyone have any ideas on where I may be able to find a costume like this with in my budget besdies Curtain Call?
Thanks!

I'm not finding anything in your price range, but you should consider making them. I don't know how many you would need, but a red mock turtleneck, with some trim with white pants and you are done. You could jazz it up or down as much as you want.

Below are links to some costumes I found:

www.anytimecostumes.com . . .

www.buycostumes.com . . .

www.shopping.com . . .


Hope something in one of these links work, but if you need anymore ideas let me know. I love making costumes hate catalogs, they are my enemy.

Black tights or pants, red or royal blue fitted shirt (you can fit by doing darts). Buy gold buttons, or make them from gold fabric, and trim for things like epaulets. Really, look close at the uniforms and just get the trims down. As far as a hat, most places like US Toys or Oriental Trading have cheap hats.

For some inspiration:
dansco.com . . .
dansco.com . . .


What about this in red:
www.onlinedancewear.com . . .
and use white sequins to make an X across the chest
with white pants:
www.onlinedancewear.com . . .
and use red sequins down the outer seams of the pants you could base the sequins off of this: cgi.ebay.com . . .
and a hat:
www.onlinedancewear.com . . .

I used black jazz pants and made the red shirts myself for about $6.00 each.

I got long sleeved red t shirts and sewed two lines of gold jingle bells down both sides of the front of the shirts like a double breasted suit. Then I glued gold ribbon horizontally from jingle bell to jingle bell across the front of the shirts. I think there were 5 or 6 lines.

They worked really well and I was able to wash them and use them several times.

I agree with Janet on the hats....I made our but they didn't hold up. After that...Oriental trade Co.

Good Luck

Hey look what I just found: www.liberts.com . . .

A few years back I used Parade of the Wooden Soldiers. It was a last minute tap production involving three different classes. Costumes needed to be quick and cheap, for thirty girls. I asked the girls to provide a pair of plain white pants and I tacked one inch royal sequin down the side seams of the pants. For the top I purchased red short sleeve t-shirts form a local chain depatment store (if I recall correctly I used boys and mens as well as girls and womens so I was able to make one stop) and I gave each girl a couple lengths of two inch royal stretch sequin that they pinned to the waist bands of the pants for suspenders. It was topped off with a soldier hat purchased from a party store. They looked great on stage and the parents were thrilled, they had an inexpensive costume with pants and a t-shirt they could wear after the show.