Disney146;s costume changes

Although employee contracts still require medical leaves for workers who are 8216;8216;unable to maintain their physical proportions,8217;8217; the clause is no longer enforced. Disney officials downplay the issue, saying they8217;re simply aiming for a more diverse workforce. But outside observers say a tight labour market for low-paying jobs has forced the company to loosen its strict personal-appearance standards. 8216;8216;Disneyland can8217;t be as picky as it used to be,8217;8217; said Jamie O8217;Boyle, a theme-park scholar at the Center for Cultural Studies 038; Analysis in Philadelphia. Employers elsewhere are facing similar issues. 8216;8216;Obesity is the issue du jour,8217;8217; said Bill O8217;Brien, a Minneapolis-based employment attorney.

Behind Space Mountain, in a building filled with Goofy heads and seamstresses toiling over Tigger tails, Disney8217;s costume maestros direct the resort8217;s massive clothing operation. It8217;s their job to outfit the 14,000 humans and 700 audio-animatronic figures at Disneyland and California Adventure.

The first clue to Disney8217;s costume makeover hangs in an upstairs hall: a photo montage of thin 1966 employees next to snapshots of more recent 8216;8216;cast members,8217;8217; who come in a smorgasbord of shapes and sizes. Nearby, a conference room displays sketches of five new costumes. One shows a more chaste tour guide ensemble worn by a gray-haired woman in her 50s. 8216;8216;You8217;d have never seen that 20 years ago,8217;8217; said David Koenig, author of Mouse Tales, a behind-the-scenes history of the Magic Kingdom.

Early tour guide slots were reserved for the prettiest young women, he said. Clad in jockey-style threads with velvet hats, riding crops and short plaid skirts, they escorted clusters of guests and VIPs around the park. Today8217;s guides include middle-age women and senior citizens who 8216;8216;aren8217;t as comfortable in a short skirt8217;8217;, so the costume is being overhauled for the first time in four decades, said Robbin Almand, director of entertainment services for Disneyland Resort.

The 2006 version, scheduled to debut this summer, features a longer hemline and looser jacket. 8216;8216;Very few Americans in service-industry jobs in the early 21st century have the figure to pull off uniforms with short skirts and form-fitted blouses,8217;8217; said Disney watchdog Al Lutz, founder of miceage.com. 8216;8216;The new costumes feature cuts and styles that hide the figure rather than flatter it.8217;8217; Rounder physiques aren8217;t the only issue Disney designers must take into account these days. 8216;8216;Sun protection is a big thing now,8217;8217; said Jess Neudauer, a costume production manager. Skin cancer anxieties spurred a mandate for 3-inch brims on all hats.

In the last year, Disney designers have rolled out 20 costume revisions; a dozen more are on the way. But they8217;ve had to make some concessions for differently dimensioned cast members. In Frontierland, designers wanted to reincarnate the can-can-dancer garb worn in the Golden Horseshoe saloon until the 1980s. But the original costume included a corset, unsuitable for plump employees. As a compromise, the 2006 sequel is fronted by a mock black corset with apron strings that wrap around torsos of any proportion.

Los Angeles Times