In 1962, Wolff-Fording produced its first catalog of dance costumes. "I believe the lowest price of those costumes was about $4.95," Bill says. "The average price was about $6.95." The mail order business allowed a rapid expansion beyond the company’s traditional Northeastern market, and today Wolff-Fording costumes are shipped throughout the United States and Canada.

The company has gone through enormous change since the Feldstein family took it over in 1959. It’s moved several times, including the relocation to Richmond, Virginia, in 1979. The rental business was sold in the late 60’s and today, dance costumes account for more than 90% of sales. Although the company still operated retail stores in Boston and Richmond, the vast majority of sales are through the catalog.

"It’s been a long time since we sold a Santa Claus suit," Jeff notes.

Growth has generated considerable change. To get an idea of how the company has grown, you need only compare that first catalog of 1962 with their 100th anniversary edition. That first edition was small, almost pocket-sized, and featured 26 designs. The 1993 catalog is book-sized and shows almost 200 styles, plus accessories, dancewear and shoes.

Computers now assist in virtually every area -- design, planning, cutting, and, of course, ordering and shipping. "It would be very difficult, maybe impossible, to handle the volume of business we have now without using modern technology," Jeff says. Nevertheless, he says making costumes is still basically a people business. "Computers can crunch numbers, lay out patterns, even help with drawing, but it takes people to create a new design, to talk with a customer about a problem or stitch a delicate piece of lace onto a costume."

Personal attention is particularly important to the customers, according to Betty Clark. "Almost all our business is mail-order, and I think that makes the need for a really personal approach to each customer even greater. When the customer service staff talks to a teacher about a problem, we have to give her the assurance that there’s a real live person at Wolff-Fording who is concerned about her needs."

Designing and making dance costumes keeps the hundred plus employees busy year-round. Design and production schedules overlap. As current year orders reach a peak around mid January, designers, Natalie (Nat), Jeff’s wife, Sue and Peggy begin concept work for the next season’s creations. Even as current orders are being shipped, the process of selecting fabrics, colors, and trims for next year is underway.

Creating a successful new line is part experience and part guesswork, according to Nat. "While there are some classics that will always be popular, customer preferences are greatly influenced by social, entertainment, and fashion trends. For instance, a movie is a big hit and everybody does a recital number based on it. Or a particular kind of music like rap rises in popularity and then fades." Sue adds, "It’s hard to respond to the latest trend when you have to plan six or eight months ahead."

The designs for the next season are usually completed and ready for critiquing about the middle of July. Catalog photography takes place in mid- to late August. This is a hectic week or more of 12-hour days when some 50 dancers are costumed, posed and photographed. All the catalog models are student dancers, selected through auditions held in April. "We don’t use professional models because we believe our customers want to see the costumes on real dancers in appropriate dance positions," Jeff says. The catalog goes to press in early October, and is shipped out to schools and dance teachers in November. As the Wolff-Fording staff waits for the "reviews" to come in -- reviews in this case means orders -- the process begins all over again.

As their company celebrates its centennial, Stuart and Jeff reflect on its past and the traditions that endured through 100 years. "I suppose the main values form the past those we try to hold onto are the importance of our employees, our customers, and our commitment to quality. From what we can tell, those things were paramount to Mr. Wolff and Miss Fording way back in 1893, and they were surely carried on by our parents," Stuart says. "It’s a pleasure to create something that brings some joy into the world."

Jeff adds, "We have a genuine respect for the performing arts. I don’t know, maybe William and Ann are still around somehow, whispering in our ears, keeping us focused on what’s most important-the show. We don’t dance, or go through the agonies of rehearsal, but we like to think we play some small role in every performance when our costumes are on stage. It’s a good feeling."

Written by Ron Reid,
as appeared in the January, 1993
edition of Dance Teacher Now magazine.