Costume supplier enters 'act two'

Ramona Didier has a photographic memory.

Didier stood in her shop, Big Don the Costumier, surrounded by a seemingly endless stretch of racks of clothes and shared how she can simply look at an actor to fit them for costumes.

“One girl did not know me at all and said, ‘Who’s that, doesn’t she measure us?’ And someone else said, ‘No, that’s just Ramona,’” Didier said.

For more than 40 years, Didier has been providing clothing for school and church productions or for individual use. Big Don the Costumier recently moved from the store’s original location on S. Central Street to the current building at 121 W. Jackson, but the change in location didn’t bring a change in pace for Didier, who said she continues to stay busy and perpetually expanding.

Didier’s passion for costuming and vintage clothing began with a family business. Her mother opened a rummage sale in the 1950s at the current Jig and Reel location. That haphazard sale grew into a rummage and antique store called “Big Don’s Elegant Junque” that moved to several locations throughout downtown Knoxville through the ‘50s and ‘60s.

The red velvet barbershop chair that sits near the entrance to Big Don the Costumier is a relic from the old store, one that her father used to sit in beside the front door each day. Didier credited her perfectionism to her mother, who she said was known to turn down customers if she felt that her shop didn’t have something just right for their needs.

The way Didier caters to the exact requirements of each customer is by keeping an enormous stock of costuming and clothing for any occasion. Each row of clothing moves into a different time period or theme, and Didier can lead the way down the winding path of racks and point out each item on the hangers.

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The journey begins at the front of the store with Victorian Era dresses Didier typically uses for musicals like “Oklahoma!” or “Hello, Dolly!” or portrayals of Southern Belles. Flapper garb from the 1920s follows and men’s renaissance costumes come up close behind.

There are dresses for Cinderella and her stepsisters beside a rack holding clothing for pirates, civil war soldiers and Liberace impersonators.

Each item of clothing is genuine costuming made any time from the 1920s to 1970s, and Didier keeps them all in pristine shape.

Whenever she rents costumes out to students in productions, Didier said she takes full responsibility for any damages to her products.

“If I allow you to wear something and something happens, it’s my fault,” she said. “I’ll fix it.”

Further back there are rows of men’s suits and medieval costumes beside piles of cultural clothing and clown costumes. Props are piled high on the tops of racks with swords, sombreros, viking helmets and wigs all at a customer's disposal.

Zeb Evans, senior at West High School, has known Didier for years as the aunt who always arrived in costume to family functions. Evans said he has visited her in both shop locations and has never been disappointed in her stories.

“She’s kind of attached to all the costumes, and you can tell when she looks at one of them that she recollects who has worn them and what they wore them for,” he said.

Evans expressed excitement about Big Don’s new location, recalling issues with maintenance at the S. Central location before Didier had to relocate. Evans said that despite the frequent difficulties, his aunt remained optimistic throughout every problem the store encountered.

“She kept on saying how whatever she needs God provides,” Evans said. “She doesn’t worry at all about anything. She just knew it was going to be fine and gave it to God and it all worked out.”

Didier said that miracles are common in her life, in fact, and recounted a particularly fortunate coincidence a few years ago when she needed to make repairs on her old store.

“I was out under the awning, and a man from Canada came up to me and wanted vintage clothing,” Didier said. “So, I took him across the street to the shop. He said ‘How much do you want for these seven barrels of clothing?’ and I said ‘Well, $10,000’ and he said ‘That’s reasonable’ and bought them that day.”

The one dream that fortune hasn’t granted Didier yet is owning her own theater, but Didier said she remains hopeful for what the future may have in store.

“All you have to do is just let it go, and I say God you know my needs,” Didier said. “There’s a time and a season and a purpose.”

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