It might take a little digging -- like anything worthwhile -- but Cincinnati actually represents itself quite well when it comes to getting down in the get-up department.

CityBeat writers Rick Pender, Kathy Y. Wilson and I recently checked some of the better costume/vintage shops around town, and based on the diversity of those name-checked in our writeups -- Tony Manero, Jackie O, Juan Epstein, Joan Crawford, Flock of Seagulls, Imelda Marcos, Shaft, Snow White, Greg Brady -- it seems area shops have enough awe-inspiring attire to satisfy even the pickiest of clothing aficionados.

After a bit of research (and first-hand experience), we narrowed the field down to six shops: Buchanan Studios in Cheviot, Casablanca Vintage in Northside, Cincinnati Costume Shop in Northside, Talk of the Town in Reading, Theater House in Covington and Schentz Theatrical Supply in Camp Washington.

We'd like to thank Heidi Jo Schiemer, resident costume designer for Cincinnati Shakespeare Festival, for her helpful suggestions. And a "thank you" goes out to all the friendly people at each of the featured shops.

Without further ado, here's our costume guide. Happy hunting, and don't forget to leave your inhibitions at the door.

Casablanca Vintage
If Cecil B. De Mille, Shaft, Joan Crawford and Michael and Thelma Evans donated their wardrobes -- real and make-believe -- to a museum, it'd be Casablanca.

Appropriately at the cusp of Northside where abandoned factories and storefronts flirt with industry and neighborhood bars, Casablanca is the real-deal Holyfield.

Wanna look like Greg Brady when he flaked out and turned his dad's study into a groovy pad? Or is Michael Evans at his Afro-pick-with-the-black-fist militant best more your look? This is Casablanca as Staples: Yeah, they've got that.

It's filled to its literal rafters with vintage and classic thrift-quality clothing and accessories.

Shopping requires a time-consuming perusal of shoes, boots, suitcases, sandals, swimwear, cabana wear, suede jackets, denim and corduroy jeans, wedding and ball gowns, dashikis, neckties, handbags and pantsuits worthy of Jackie O, hats a Civil Rights Era Coretta Scott King would've coveted, 1950s stay-at-home mom Capri pants, Sonny and Cher-esque vests and nearly every look from every season of I Love Lucy.

Generally, prices are reasonable so you might feel twinges of guilt haggling prices with shopkeepers. But go ahead.

And true to the eccentricity of the space and its wares, you might be torn between suede platforms and a polyester shirt with the cowboy print or the cashmere overcoat all to the strain of Bluegrass, Van Morrison, West Coast Rap or The Delfonics.

The only real frustration of shopping Casablanca is stumbling on the dopest, most exciting rack of treasures only to be told the items are reserved as costumes for some movie.

Yeah, that's right. Costume designers and wardrobe masters regularly tap into Casablanca's well.

Don't be discouraged. Turn off the TV and devote a Sunday afternoon to strolling through clothing's equivalent to a backstage pass through Hollywood and Harlem. (KYW)

Theater House
If you're into making costumes, Theater House in Covington might have just what you're looking for: bolts of fabric (want that special turquoise that you saw on characters in Monsters Inc.? They found something that will work), braid, glitter, three lines of theatrical makeup, masks, wigs, boas, hats and dozens of accoutrements. If they don't have something, owner Becky Rouse and her brother Rick Gaukel follow the model set by their grandparents back in 1955: They send customers on to other stores supplying what they need.

But you'll find a lot here, and even more in their annual catalog, which has more than 3,000 items. (Mail order is a big part of their business.)

Theatre House also provides a lot of stuff for theaters -- things like breakaway bottles, sound effects and stage curtains. Prices for stock costumes are on the low end, so if you want to add a Santa costume to your closet or have that Snow White dress and wig for your favorite fantasy, this is the place to go. (RP)

Talk of the Town
Don't let its location amid nondescript storefronts on Reading Road fool you -- Talk of the Town is an oasis of the unique. This haven of funky finds takes you back to a wide variety of fashion eras: 1930s dresses to Flock of Seagulls-style '80s wear are thoroughly covered here.

Originally a vintage-only clothing shop when it opened 10 years ago, owner Nancy Marshall expanded the shop's repertoire to accommodate her customers.

What they've become is a shop that features everything from a vast collection of vintage and thrift clothing and accessories to even the most whacked-out, esoteric of costumes. A "Fat Stripper" ensemble? Sure.

The sprawling 8,000-square-foot space has two densely packed floors of merchandise, and nearly all is available for rent or sale (most clothing prices range from $10-$30 to rent and $20-$60 to buy).

Vintage is the name of the game on the first floor, including an impressive collection of reasonably priced jewelry. The second floor is all about costumes, which range from the ridiculous to the sublime.

If it's true that accessories make the costume, look no further: An abundance of hats, belts, wigs, purses, glasses, feather boas -- pretty much anything you can attach to your body -- are available in all sizes, colors and styles. Talk of the Town's collection of vintage shoes is enough to induce an "ooh, la, la!" from Imelda Marcos. And their swanky array of Disco attire would have Saturday Night Fever's Tony Manero salivating.

While Halloween is obviously a focal point, Marshall says they have plenty of other requests to keep them busy year round.

"Every week we get people looking for something for theme parties, proms, school book reports, Renaissance festivals, theatrical productions," she says. "We have a little bit of everything here -- especially fun!"

Talk of the Town's staff pride themselves on being able to put together any costume a customer could possibly dream up -- with one exception. "The only request I've turned down was when someone wanted an ear wax costume," Marshall says.

Ear wax? "Yeah, their partner was going as a Q-Tip." (JG)

Schentz Theatrical Supply
If you're looking for a major costume, Schenz Theatrical Supply is probably the place for you. John Schenz set up his business 35 years ago with a goal of becoming the "largest department store for theater in the United States."

He might not be the biggest, but he has a national reputation.

"Why not? We're good," says Schenz, still a flamboyant showman whose miniature poodle, Phoebe, follows him around the shop.

"It's an oddball business," he admits, but he keeps his staff of 10 to 13 employees busy all year. The company, based in a rambling 22,000 square foot warehouse in Camp Washington -- there used to be a gorilla out front that Schenz hopes to hang from the building's second story before too long -- does business with high schools, colleges and community theaters.

"Only 20 percent of my business is in Cincinnati," he says. Orders come from theaters all over America looking for a complete set of costumes for a show. Many go to schenz.com to select what they need.

For 22 years, Schenz has provided an Easter Bunny costume to the White House for the annual Easter Egg Hunt. He's got pictures with presidents from Reagan to Clinton to prove it.

Schenz also builds "characters" for theme parks and mascots for companies, too: We saw 10 crates with Pink Panther costumes, a Charlie the Tuna in a corner and several Big Boys ready for appearances. We watched a craftsman build a bike helmet for a turtle mascot for Children's Hospital.

But Schenz can provide costumes for the average person who simply wants to dress up. His costume collection dates to 1852, the oldest in this part of the country, he says, and certainly one of the largest.

Need some chain mail? Schenz has it. Want a crown? There's a selection. (While we talked, Chris Scott came in: "I'm looking for a crown for the King of Mustard and Horseradish at Findlay Market." He found one.)

Want to dress up for Mardi Gras or Halloween? Schenz has a big selection of dress-ups for rent. Prices average from $30 to $60, although a really fancy get-up can go for much more. (RP)

Buchanan Studios
Buchanan Studios has been a fixture on the West Side for more than 20 years. Located in a busy section of downtown Cheviot, it's the kind of small, family-owned shop that takes pride in their attention to detail and personalized service.

Authentic-looking (if not actual) rental costumes are Buchanan's specialty. Dozens of outfits -- fireman suits, World War II era uniforms, Western wear, pirate paraphernalia, etc. -- line the narrow aisles of Buchanan's small shop space. And if you thought the '70s were groovy, this is the place for you. In fact, if the guys in Welcome Back Kotter were to make a reunion show, Buchanan's could hook them up. They have an ample supply of vintage leisure suits, bell-bottoms pants, polyester shirts, platform shoes, gold medallions and, of course, the all-important Juan Epstein style Afro, too. Yes, this is the funky shit.

But don't think Buchanan's neglects the standard issue. A nice supply of props, make-up and masks are also available at a reasonable price. (JG)

Cincinnati Costume Co.
Seven years into owning Cincinnati Costume Company, Caren Young appreciates her education as a theater major at tiny Bluffton College.

"Not only did I get to do all the shows, I had to do all the shows," says Young, who co-owns the costume and make-up sales and rental business with her husband, Jerry. "It's a lot like what I'm doing now -- constantly busy."

Caren can apply make-up and do repair work all while answering annoying questions on the telephone.

She estimates Cincinnati Costume owns upwards of 14,000 costumes. The business has been a landmark at the foot of the Northside viaduct and within sniffing distance of White Castle since the 1970s.

They don't sell costumes, they just rent them. They do, however, sell make-up.

Thespians from Cincinnati-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati and Playhouse in the Park occasionally purchase make-up from Cincinnati Costume, although Caren says the Playhouse costume department is "pretty self-contained."

It's the smaller companies -- Ovation Theater Company, Stage First, Xavier University and countless high schools -- whose business is the Youngs' bread and butter.

"I've got two high-school companies picking up today," Caren says on a recent Friday afternoon.

The Youngs employ only a few staffers, depending on the season, and other local costume rentals probably don't stand a ghost of a chance of out-renting them during Halloween. It's their busiest season. But it's not all scary.

Like many of the actors who come there looking to transform themselves, the Youngs haven't gotten rich off costuming.

"Am I getting rich? No," says Caren. "Am I surviving? Yes. If you want to be a millionaire, this is not the field, but I really love my work." (KYW)

Cincinnati Costume Co., 3950 Spring Grove Ave., Northside. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10-3 p.m. Saturday. 513-541-6803

Schenz Theatrical Supply, 2959 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington. 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. 513-542-6100

Talk of the Town, 9111 Reading Road, Reading. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 513-563-8844

Theater House, 400 W. Third St., Covington. 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. 859-431-2414