A Santa Monica-based costume shop that served Hollywood productions for nearly half a century announced it will shut down this fall.
Dozens of wigs, extravagant accessories and recognizable costumes make up Ursula’s Costumes on the 2500 block of Wilshire Boulevard. Store owner Ursula Boschet, 90, said she’s decided to shutter the doors to her shop because she’s been unable to compete with online retailers.
“I think I need a vacation,” she told NBC4.
Boschet, who worked as a tailor for nearly 80 years, includes her own work into her shop. She said she plans to close her store after Halloween. Until then, the costumes she rented to Hollywood production companies are now for sale.
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“I worked all my life, all my life,” she said. “Every day, you can see me here.”
In addition to online competitors, the COVID-19 pandemic and Hollywood strikes also impacted Ursula’s Costumes. Boschet also told NBC4 that she began working at the age of 14 in post-war Germany. She added that she’s been tired and is ready to take it easy once her shop closes.
Ursula’s Costumes is open 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
