Suiting Up For Santa Claus

(Editor’s Note: If uniforms serve to identify the wearer, then the Santa Suit could be viewed as the mother of all uniforms. In a salute to the season, UniformMarket brings you a brief history of the cheerful garb, as well as quotes from those doing quite a nice business selling this unique “career apparel” item. So if you’ve been searching for a lucrative niche market, read on…)

Every year, Santa puts down his pipe, fluffs up his whiskers, and makes sure he has his list that’s been checked twice. He puts on his Christmas best, and gets ready to spread love, good cheer, and goodies to children all over the world.

It seems that Santa Claus, or Saint Nicholas, evolved with various cultures over time: The Greeks knew him as Poseidon, god of the sea; the Romans changed his name to Neptune; early European Christianity drew on these images of this powerful sea god, the benevolent Christ child, and the concept that children should be good Christians, calling him Hagios Nikolaos (Latin for Saint Nicholas). It seems there is no proof that there was an actual person named Nicholas.

Saint Nicholas, protector of sailors and schoolchildren, gradually became the rescuer and benefactor who rewarded children everywhere so long as they were properly behaved, did their studies, and said their catechism.

The name of Santa Claus came from the Dutch who, when they first came to America and settled in New Amsterdam ( New York), pronounced Saint Nicholas “Sinterklass,” aka Santa Claus.

How did Santa’s appearance evolve? According to multiple sources, the answer is an American one: In 1809, New York writer Washington Irving (“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”) wrote a series of satirical works referred to as “The Knickerbocker Tales.” In these “‘Tales,” St. Nicholas represents the patron saint of New York society. Riding over tops of trees and bringing presents to children, Irving portrays him as small, elfish, with a pipe, and capable of sliding down chimneys.

By 1821, New York printer William Gilley put forth a poem about “Santeclaus” who dressed all in fur and drove a sleigh pulled by one reindeer. Clement Clark Moore—New York, 1823, wrote the classic poem, “Twas The Night Before Christmas” a defining image for Santa and his swift team, now totaling eight reindeer.

Santa remained elfin until about 1841, when J.W. Parkinson of Philadelphia hired a man to dress as Santa for his mercantile and climb down a chimney outside his shop—the first time Santa is recorded as being a full-sized person and connected with retailing.

In 1863, the cartoons of Thomas Nast were presented in “Harper’s Weekly:” Santa got a beard, fur from head to foot, and his first red suit; George P. Webster, who wrote copy for Nast’s drawings, gave Saint Nicholas the North Pole as his home.

By 1885, when Louis Prang of Boston, an illustrator of Christmas cards, chose red over all the other Santa suit colors (green, white, purple, brown, blue), Saint Nicholas took on the final style and appearance that he has today.

There are those who think that Santa Claus, in his famous red suit with white fur, was a figment of Coca Cola’s corporately colored imagination. Nope. During the 1930’s, the era of the Great Depression, an illustrator named Haddon Sundblom did a drawing of Santa holding a bottle of Coca Cola as a marketing idea. It was an instant success, galvanizing the notion of Santa’s already red suit, and also reaping excellent rewards for Coke. But the colorful image of Santa Claus was cemented long before the 1930’s.

What about the Santa suit today? For one jolly old soul, this multi-million dollar business sells hundreds of thousands of garments per year. There are over 25,000 Santa suit purchasing sites online, alone. It’s mostly seasonal, but with sales occurring year round. Volume wise, Santa suits are second in sales only to Halloween in the costume/uniform industry.

Halco is one of the 2 largest Santa suit manufacturers in the U.S. “We’ve been in business since 1945,” says principal, Terri Greenberg. “We produce 52,000 suits per year. We used to have 72 fulltime stateside sewing operators. Now, we have ten.” What used to be an American business is becoming more and more offshore because American manufacturers can’t compete with the pricing. Terri, herself, lives in the Far East part time, in order to maintain quality control at her plants both here and abroad.

Shari McConahay, co-owner of retail SantaSuits.com, purchases from wholesale manufacturers like Terri. Shari is adamant about buying American and feels strongly that American suits are better made; with offshore garments, quality control is a mixed bag. Her business has been selling the Santa uniform since the early ’70’s. Shari dedicates 20% of her company’s 18,000 sq. ft. warehouse space to the Santa suits, alone.

A Santa suit can be purchased retail ranging in price anywhere from $27.95, for a one-size-fits-all stretch, to a plush satin-lined fully trimmed out custom garment at $700.00. With accoutrements, such as padding, beards, eyebrows, glasses, boots, belts, gloves, etc, that’s about $1,000 for the complete ensemble. Depending on the vendor, profits can range from plus or minus 100% of the cost.

The costumes can come in red, burgundy, white, green, blue, and even black. But red is by far and away the best seller. There are variations of style and quality with coats, hoods, brocade, and period pieces—in polyester, flannel, felt, vinyl, leather, satin, velvet, velour, or plush fur fabrics.

“There are those who purchase for parties, office gatherings, and family affairs. Then, there are the ‘professionals’ who work the malls, hospitals and charitable organizations, photography displays, parades, and street corners,” lists retailer Larry Meidberg at Clicket.com.

There’s something special about a uniform that commands both kindness and respect. Like true elves, all three companies are working 15 hour days to get everyone suited up in time for the Christmas season. “For many Santas it’s like a calling,” said Shari. “Every year they will spruce up their accessories or their uniforms, so that they are perfect. Children are the first to tell you if something is wrong.”

Debra Hindlemann Webster is owner of Custom Uniform Company, a manufacturer of high-quality, American-made custom uniforms. The company has been serving individuals, groups, theme parks, corporations, offices, military, hospitality, entertainment centers, and many other businesses with unique custom apparel for more than 70 years. Visit WWW.CUSTOMUNIFORMCOMPANY.COM or email them at CUSTOMUNIFORMCO@EARTHLINK.NET to learn more .