Disguise the limit for costume

Seeing people transform as they get into period dress is one of the most "amazing" parts of Victorian Heritage Celebrations Week for Dawn Sutherland.

Mrs Sutherland, of the Victorian Wardrobe, has been flat out fitting people in authentic rental costumes - and has been for the past couple of months.

She has created new pieces this year to meet demand, and most have already been hired.

"There's a lot of costumes out already, some people organise them from one year to the following year," she said.

"We've been putting most stuff away from early October."

She said there were no particular trends, as everyone had different tastes. "It's a mix really. Some people want something quite plain, while others want to be flamboyant and some want to be outrageous."

While there would always be something available, people need to get in quickly.

"There's hardly any choice left," she said.

Mrs Sutherland's love for costumes comes from meeting such a variety of people.

"There's an amazing amount of people that come in," she said.

"It's an amazing moment when people see themselves all dressed in the mirror.

"The guys often don't really want to dress up, but once you put a top hat on them they start preening in front of the mirror."

The Victorian Wardrobe will open daily from 10am to 4pm during Heritage Week.