Bring me a hire love

Fetch the giant octopus head! It's next to Puss in Boots and the big parrot.

"I'd like to say that's an unusual sentence," laughs Sue Penzer. "But it's completely normal for here."

Sue has been in charge of Masquerade for 35 years, nurturing a childhood hobby into a successful business. These days, her Aladdin's Cave of a store is bursting with more than 10,000 costumes, not to mention rainbow-coloured wigs, terrifying movie masks, sparkly platform boots and more make-up than Katie Price's dressing table.

Mr Benn could lose himself for weeks in here.

"I've always loved costumes," explains Sue. "Ever since I was a young girl and I had some traditional Victorian dresses. Over the years, my collection grew and grew and friends were always asking me 'Oh, can we borrow this? Can we borrow that?'. That's when I decided to make a business of it."

As well as catering for birthday boys and girls, stags and hens, and, of course, the suspender-and-stiletto-craving Rocky Horror fans, Sue and her team also have a number of high-profile clients.

"We've supplied outfits for the Hairy Bikers – they dressed as Romans when cooking in an amphitheatre – and for other shows including Top Gear and Doctors. We also did a special edition of Countryfile: Matt Baker looked fab in the tweed outfit we provided.

"Then there's things like Elvis competitions, professional and am-dram stage productions and, of course, Christmas: we supply the local councils with their Santas and elves."

With more than three decades in the business behind her, what have been the biggest changes Sue has seen?

"Halloween! Without a doubt. When I first started, New Year and Christmas were the biggest and busiest times, but, over the past 10 years, it's become Halloween. We've followed in the footsteps of America.

"All the supermarkets do it now too but I remember when they did nothing, we had a three-deep queue that stretched all the way around the block.

"Over the past few years, due to films like World War Z, zombies have been the biggest seller. People are zombie-mad!"

"Scary clowns are also doing well," adds daughter Sarah. "People like the zipper-faces too. Things like movies and books inspire the trends but it's been all about zombies for years now."

And the most unusual request? What's the craziest costume they've been asked for?

"There's no such thing as unusual in this game," says Sue. "We've seen and heard it all. Nothing surprises us – we make it all happen. There was a fireman who wanted to dress up as Quasimodo and his girlfriend, Esmeralda; there was another customer who wanted to be a parcel ready for posting; and the woman who wanted to be an ice cream for her 50th birthday."

"You can be anything you want," adds Sarah. "We have men who want to be dressed up as knights when they propose to their girlfriend – although the most popular outfit for that remains the Richard Gere Naval uniform from An Officer & a Gentleman. We also have fabulous Moulin Rouge costumes and then completely random things like beer bottles, Whoopee cushions, watermelons and man-eating sharks."

However, some of the most stunning pieces in the shop in Hagley Road West, Oldbury, are the handmade historic costumes.

"The Georgian gent covered with gold trim, lace and pearls took me three weeks to make," says Sue. "People have got married in it, it's a real one-off.

"Costumes are my lifeblood, my true passion. I still adore this business after all these years. It makes me so proud to create these characters and then see people bring them to life when they try them on.

"It's also wonderful being a part of people's special occasions and life milestones: engagements, weddings, birthdays, we're a part of them all. I cant describe what it's like when you see people's faces light up with a smile when they find the perfect costume."

And Sarah? What does life in a fancy dress shop mean to her?

"It means I always had the best costume in the school play," she laughs. "I remember once I was just a handmaiden but I looked better than the queen and princess combined!"

By Elizabeth Joyce