Whether it is a dinosaur running along the end zone, a crocodile celebrating with a team’s quarterback or a lion joining in with the cheerleaders, mas...
Whether it is a dinosaur running along the end zone,
a crocodile celebrating with a team’s quarterback or a lion joining in with the cheerleaders, mascot costumes have become a major part of sporting events on both a professional and amateur level.
Many little league occasions are just as likely to feature a mascot as the multi-million dollar world of the NFL. This increase in the use of mascots (and by extension, their costumes) adds a lot of color and fun to the occasion; but it has also created something of a problem.
The more teams use mascots, the harder it can be to select a good character and even more importantly, get a costume that is both good quality and helps your team stand out from the competition.
These days, mascots are not just there to entertain the crowd, but can act as a real inspiration to the players, whatever their age. To this end, the choice of where to get hold of an appropriate costume has never been more important.
Unfortunately, many people fall into the all too common trap of thinking they can pop along to any hire store and pick up a costume. After all, costumes are the same wherever you buy them, aren’t they? No, they are not. The difference in quality as well as design and customization can be very apparent.
The good news for anyone in the market for mascot costumes is that there are a few easy to remember points that can be used to ensure that you get the best costume for your dollar and for your team.
The first thing to understand is that if you go to a normal costume hire store, you will leave with a lion, crocodile or whatever that is just that - a fancy costume. It is not a mascot; and the reason for that is simple, mascots represent the team for which they are the mascot. Just as a team would not take to the field in generic uniforms, mascots need to be seen to be the mascot of a particular club.
One of the ways to specialize a mascot is by branding clothing to teams colors. Of course, a mascot can just wear a team shirt over the costume; but how much better would it be to have a custom costume? The best suppliers will be able to offer this service. Even if it is something that you may not want to take advantage of at this stage, it is still worth looking out for, as it is a great indicator of the level of professionalism of a company.
There will almost undoubtedly come a time when a costume needs a little tender loving care. It will make much more sense if the supplier can provide this, so look for a company that not only offers cleaning of costumes, but repair and refurbishing services as well.
Finally and perhaps most importantly, for those who want a specially made costume that really inspires the teams and the fans as well as making them stand out from their competitors, look for a company that offers the ability not just to manufacture the costume in house, but also offers their customers the opportunity to design a mascot to they get exactly what they want. If the company employs its own seamstresses, then the chances are you will be on to a winner.
Choosing the right supplier for mascot costumes not only makes financial sense, it will help motivate your cherished team to give inspired performances both on and off the field and will add color and fun to any sporting occasion.
