Please note: I’m not referring to large costumes - fursuits or mascots or any human costume - in this article; this refers to costumes for puppets - marionettes, etc - to wear only… so no, this isn’t going to help you build your halloween costume.

Puppet costumes are tricky to find. Because there are any given puppet types, sizes, and uses, puppet costumes are usually provided with the puppet - if it requires a costume, like with human characters. Puppet manufacturers, like those who sell ‘people puppets’/muppet-types, or Folkmanis, etc, sometimes sell costumes seperately. However, these costumes are made specifically for the puppets that they sell, and wouldn’t fit any other puppet that you might have.

Basically, if you want a puppet costume for any puppet not made by factory, you have to either: return to the person you bought the puppet from and have it custom made; or approach another puppet maker and have it made. Most puppet makers also make puppet costumes, and will be happy to be commissioned to make you an outfit to your specifications.

UPDATE: Al Martinez Studios in Kensington (Melbourne, Australia) offers puppets and costumes.

Alternatively, you can make your own costumes, and you can read about how to do that here. You can, of course, get a dressmaker or costume maker to create some puppet clothes; however, buyer beware! Dressmakers and costumers often do not work with puppets, and won’t necessarily have a comprehensive understanding of how puppets work and how their costumes need to: be flexible; accommodate rods, strings or other methods of operation, like human hands; lighting; weight of the materials; etc.

If you know of anyone who sells or makes puppet costumes, please let me know. I’ll create a list here! You may also want to read about puppet repairers in Australia.

(The above applies not just to Australians looking for puppet costume sellers, but for other areas of the world too - they really are hard to find!)