A.C.T. Costume Rentals

A.C.T. has an enormous collection of costumes, ranging from elegant period garments to outrageous futuristic getups. Some of the treasures you can find are Jean Stapleton's turn-of-the-20th-century costumes from The Matchmaker, as well as gowns and men's suits from the 18th century. Choose from a wealth of extraordinary costumes from throughout history. Great for fundraisers, corporate events, Halloween, and theme parties! The A.C.T. Costume Shop also rents to theater companies throughout the Bay Area. Whether you want one costume for a party or you're costuming a whole production, we're happy to help.

"The most elegant, amazing costumes by far are to be found at A.C.T.'s costume shop. The choices are practically limitless—high-fashion ball gowns, 18th-century men's suits, queenly Elizabethan gear complete with high-necked ruffs."
Best Costume Rental, SF Weekly "Best of SF" 2005

Private Rentals Policy
Commercial Rentals Policy

For more information about costumes and rental fees, or to make an appointment for a fitting, please call 415.439.2379.

Frequently Asked Questions about Costume Rentals:

What will I find at the A.C.T. Costume Shop? Our stock consists of costumes built for 35 years of A.C.T. productions. We have western period clothing from ancient times up to the present. We have only a small collection of ethnic clothing and a very incomplete collection of military uniforms. We do not have costumes for popular culture characters or costumes from movies or television shows.

Do I need to make an appointment? Yes. If you would like to rent a costume for yourself to wear to an event, you need to book an appointment for a fitting. This enables us to make sure the costume you rent fits properly, is in good repair, and has all the accessories needed to create a wonderful look. We book fittings on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. We work by appointment only for all business, including returns.

How much does it cost to rent a costume? Most of our costumes rent for $140, which includes all accessories, alterations, repairs, and dry cleaning. We have a small collection of costumes that rent for $200. These are new, in very good shape.

How long may I keep my rented costume? Our costume rentals run for a week starting the day you pick up. This enables you to fit pick up and return times more easily into your schedule, or to take a costume to an event out of town.

Does the A.C.T. Costume Shop accommodate commercial rentals? If you are a stylist or an event planner and need to get costumes for a photo shoot, film or corporate event, you can make an appointment to look through our stock. We will charge by the piece. If you need to bring your client or models in for fittings, we will charge a $100 flat fee.

Can I rent from A.C.T. for my nonprofit's event or production? If you need costumes for a nonprofit organization (this includes theater groups, churches, schools, and community organizations), you can receive a 50% discount if you follow a few guidelines.

We don't provide fitting space, so you need to send one person (costume designer), armed with measurements, to go through our stock.
Nonprofit rentals are self-service, so the costume designer should have their research in order so they know what they need.
We do not allow trying on of costumes in our racks.
We do allow you to pull extra costumes so you have choices in fittings. If you bring back what you don't want to use before your opening or event date, we will take those items off of your invoice.
The costumes must come back clean with all alterations removed.
If you need our assistance in pulling costumes for your show, we charge $20 per hour.