Ok, it has been some big secret that nobody has talked about, but it looks like Rubies has landed the contract to produce the licensed Sweeney Todd costumes. Here are a few sneak peek pictures. No word yet if there will be a Mrs. Lovett. I will keep you posted when these are expected as I just found out.

Check out the "bee" costume created by Ms. Dress-Up for the new Vespa Web Campaign, an environmental site offering education on how to save the bees.

http://www.envirovespa.com/en/

Canadian On-Line Retailer Lowers Prices on U.S. Goods

June 14, 2008, Toronto, Ontario – On-line costume retailer Ms. Dress-Up has lowered their prices after a lengthy period of the Canadian loonie being at parity with the U.S. greenback. A Bank of Montreal survey of 17 goods indicates that price differences have narrowed somewhat in the year since its previous comparison but Canadians are still paying 18 per cent more than shoppers in the U.S.

Ms. Dress-up is a Canadian owned on-line costume shop. They offer kids and adult dress-up costumes, accessories, wigs and make-up. Owners Jack and Heidi Loney wanted to offer their customers competitive rates with U.S retailers, and recently have lowered their prices by as much as 20%.

“It’s simple” explains Ms. Loney. “Our suppliers have lowered their prices on costumes that come from the States, so we have passed on the savings to our consumers”. That doesn’t mean that you will pay the same for a costume in the States as you will in Canada. “We pay more for these products than our American competitor does. We have lowered our margins on many of our products, but we still have to cover our expenses”.

Customers will find that there are huge savings on some high end lines such as Cinema Secrets and Playboy. “These costumes are very good quality, and can be worn many time over, not just Halloween. There are savings of $20-$30 per costume, compared to last September” Ms. Loney continues. “Last spring we bought all of our stock, so when it came around to Halloween, we couldn’t drop our prices despite the loonie being at parity”.

Along with the lower cost, Ms. Dress-Up is adding free shipping across Canada (on minimum orders) “We recognize that there are lots of choices out there for consumers purchasing a costume. We try to make the experience as painless and as enjoyable as possible.” says Ms. Loney. “We want our clients to feel confident that they have made the right choice by coming to us.” Many Canadians prefer to shop in their own country, and from their experience, they have good reason. ”Their biggest concern is whether they will get it on time. It has to cross the border, and that is not always reliable. When you buy it in Canada, you will usually get it in a day or two. Many of our customers in the GTA can even get it the same day or come and pick it up. If you need it now, getting it from the US won’t do you any good, no matter what the price”.

Ms. Dress-Up will always put service before price. Ms. Loney adds “We always want to give our customer the best value, but we won’t compromise on service and quality for that.”

I know that this has been a contentious issue of late - the strong Canadian dollar. While it is great for cross border shopping, it has been difficult for Canadian businesses to compete. Ms. Dress-Up wants to keep your business in Canada, so we have lowered our prices on many of our popular costume lines, some as many as 20%. This will be of great benefit to Canadians come Halloween, who are reluctant to purchase costumes and accessories from the US.

Along with our new lowered prices, we will also be introducing free shipping to all provinces in Canada with minimum orders. Check out our new prices:

http://www.msdress-up.com/shop/index.php

Pop Culture and Movies continue to influence costume trends and theme parties for this year. Costumes are not just for Halloween any more. Here are some of the biggest influences of the year:

Sex and the City

This is predicted to be the biggest chick flick ever! Theme parties and girls night out will never be the same. Of course, when dressing like Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, it won't be complete without designer shoes and handbags, jewelery and the latest fashion forward clothing. Wigs can make this even more fun with a Sarah Jessica curly style or a sleek Samantha coif. Don't forget to add a Cosmopolitan.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

There was plenty of hype for this four times a charm flick, even when the hero is a senior citizen Leather whips, felt fedoras and leather bomber jackets will be all the rage. The era has been moved from World War II to the fifties with Russians as the bad guys. The black page boy will become a big hit this year fashioned after Cate Blanchette's KGB resident naughty girl.

Ironman

This movie has already broken records at the box office. Robert Downey Jr's Ironman is sure to be a hit - especially with the younger set. Disguise costumes is realeasing a licensed costume for kids and adults that will be available by the end of the summer.

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

This has been a very big franchise in the cinema world and it will continue to be very successful in 2008 with the release of the latest movie just after Halloween. Rubies offers a large selection of officially licensed Harry Potter costumes.

Hanna Montana

Can't say I get it, but tweens are eating this stuff up. Miley Cyrus, better know as Hannah Montana, has girls scarmbling to dress in her style of clothes, makeup and accessories.

Sweeney Todd

Pack up your Jack Sparrow costume! Pirates are out and killer barbers are in - largely due to Johnny Depp's creepy murderer. Despite it's 2007 release, Tim Burton's vision of Sweeney Todd is sure to be a huge hit for all come this Halloween. Who thought that Victorian squallor could be so chic (dripping with lots of blood of course).

Star Wars - The Clone Wars

30 years ago, I dressed as Princess Leia for Halloween. Who'd of thought it would be as popular as ever. Star Wars will be huge again this year with the Clone Wars - an animated feature film due in August. Rubies has a full selection of Star Wars costumes for adults and kids. What's new? Princess Leia sexy slave outfit.

Other hot items:

It's too early to tell, but Batman and the Incredible Hulk both are releasing movies this year, so these could be big influences.

What's out:

Pirates have been huge for the last several years, thanks largely to Pirates of the Caribbean. This year, that trend has come to a grinding halt. It will continue to be popular with the little ones. Also, Spiderman took a nosedive in 2007, and will continue to loose ground. Superheroes have great longevity - so we will see Spidy make a comeback.