Currently supplying and building costumes for theatre companies from California to the Carolinas, Eastern Costume has a 35-year reputation for building the highest quality costumes in the industry with a focus on style and authenticity.
We do complete shows or individual costuming. Parts and pieces are available as are rentals in jewelry, wigs, and accessories. We carry Ben Nye, personal & theatrical, makeup kits.
We also build costume or mascots either from your design, or we will design it from the information you give us. Any hard to find items or material we will be glad to find it, if we don’t have it in stock, just ask!
If you have any questions, please contact us; and if you happen to be in the Salisbury area, please stop by and look around. We look forward to doing business with you and your group in the future.
Eastern Costume Company was started in the 1980s. The original owner Donald Johnson already had a rental business, but with backhoes, tillers, equipment. He met Juanita Dunlap, who was making custom plus sized men's suits and asked her to custom build a suit for him, even though he wasn’t plus sized. This began a friendship and business partnership that lasted for 35 years.
Sometime during the late 80s Eastern Costume Company caught fire. The only costumes left were those that were out in a show. They had an order for “My Fair Lady” coming up, so Juanita and her staff relocated to a temporary location and sewed. They sewed around the clock and slept at the shop in order to create the show. Juanita and Eastern Costume Company were able to rebuild inventory by purchasing stock from other costume shops and building shows, one at a time.
In 2010 or 2011 Eastern Costume Company moved from their Elm Street location to Commerce place. The costume shop remained at the Commerce Place location for 4 years, until Don and Juanita wanted to retire and sell the company.
In December of 2014, Piedmont Players Theatre purchased Eastern Costume Company and moved the company to Downtown Salisbury.
