
Today, Western Costume Company acts as not only a design house for the industry but also a one-stop costume shop for the public. One might borrow a guise for a party and discover a rather fanciful story behind it. In fact, every item in Western Costume&#x2019;s vault has a well-documented history&#x2014;like the most famous kitten heels in cinema. Almost every design aspect of *The Wizard of Oz&#x2019;*s ruby-red slippers has been documented over the years: from the number of sequins stitched on each shoe (2,300), to the number of pairs MGM costumer Gilbert Adrian produced (seven), to Judy Garland&#x2019;s dainty shoe size (five). The biggest number ($551,000) reflects the cost of a test pair, snapped up at auction several years ago by a private bidder.

