Employee’s Hobby Dresses Up Life

Roberta Nichols in her costume entry at the Disney D23 Fan EXPO in August.

It all started with “Star Trek” in 1979.

“If you wore a costume to the movie premiere, you could get in for free… so I found the pattern in a “Star Trek” manual book, blew it up to full size and started creating.”

Roberta Nichols said she was still hemming the iconic Nurse Chapel short blue dress in the car on the way to the premiere.

The Multiple Conflicts Office employee has been stitching and sewing ever since, boasting memberships in the San Diego Costume Guild (the Guild) and Costumer’s Guild West (CGW) based in Los Angeles.

Roberta Nichols in her Miss Havisham costume at the Riverside Dickens Festival.“I do movie and TV recreations, and have also been a model in historical fashion shows and fundraising events and teas, including the Riverside Dickens Festival, Gaslight Gathering (a steampunk convention) and the Alpine Women’s Club,” Nichols said. 

Most recently, the talented seamstress competed at the Disney D23 Fan EXPO held at the Anaheim Convention Center Aug. 14-16.

“I had never competed in a costume contest like that before. I read the notice for Disney’s Mousequerade and thought, ‘why not give it a try, you never know.’ I mailed in a photo of the outfit and necklace I created a few months earlier for the ‘Cinderella’ movie premiere and never thought I would even be considered,” she said.

Nichols ended up being one of eleven finalists in the “Once Upon A Costume” category with her Lady Tremaine (sometimes known better as the Wicked Stepmother from “Cinderella”) costume. Her competing category was one of five categories with 60 contestants in all, performing on stage to an audience of 7,500 Disney fans. She didn’t win the category – Ursula the Sea Witch grabbed first prize - but was honored to be among the final group.

“It was an amazing experience sharing stories with talented costumers from all over the U.S.” 

Finalists in the "Once Upon a Time" category at the Disney D23 Fan EXPO.

Nichols said she continues to expand her sewing skills by attending CGW’s Costume College, but that also means making extra room in her house for all her supplies and accessories, including hats, gloves, shoes, jewelry, reticules or purses, fans, umbrellas, flowers and even wigs. 

Roberta Nichols (L) in her Lady Tremaine costume.

“My husband Gary, a retired County Public Defender, is very supportive of my hobby and has allowed it to take over two large closets in our home,” she said. “Creating a costume, especially a historically based one, is not just the garments on the outside.  To obtain the proper silhouette, you must first create from within with proper era undergarments (wired bustle, corset, petticoat, chemise).”

Nichols said the San Diego Costume Guild has been invited to attend and be “eye candy” by many local organizations including the San Diego History Center, the USS Midway, the House of England in Balboa Park, and the Museum of Man. She’s even hosted some events, like the USS Midway Flag Day celebration. 

And if you’re wondering if that “Star Trek” costume that started it all 36 years ago got her into the movie premiere for free – it did.