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All about Playboy Bunny Costumes

history & mystery– where to buy – what to ask – how to get the best value and how to buy what meets your needs

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NEW! TELL US ABOUT YOUR BUNNY (COSTUME) TALES - http://playboybunnypj.blogspot.com/

This page is a work in progress, so keep checking back!

If you're curious about Playboy Bunnies, Playboy Clubs, or Playboy Bunny costumes, you've come to the right place.

I'm a former Playboy Club bunny, so I can tell you first hand that if you or your "significant other" want to turn heads, mesmerize people, feel powerful, and look like a sex goddess, try wearing a Playboy Bunny costume. I'll also admit that in my opinion, most women's' clothing is usually either made for comfort or for looks - bunny costumes are TOTALLY made for looks! (But getting all those looks is worth it!)

Most people are acquainted with the vintage Playboy Club costumes. Not only are vintage Playboy Bunny costumes on exhibit at the Women's Museum in Dallas, the Smithsonian Institute http://historywired.si.edu/detail.cfm?ID=126  and the The Chicago Historical Society http://www.chicagohs.org/treasures/cost10.html ,  these are the first service uniforms registered with the U.S. patent & trademark office back in the early 1960's http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playboy_Bunny

 But their uniqueness and desirability  doesn't stop there - Hugh Hefner knows the laws of supply & demand - he has kept his original bunny costumes out of the public markets except for an infrequent auction  http://www.playboy.com/worldofplayboy/features/auctions/  . And Playboy has auctioned a "certified" complete vintage bunny costume for over  $10,000.00 (with authenticity papers).   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playboy_Bunny  The highest amount that a Playboy Bunny Costume  has sold for that I could find online was $14,340.00 at a Christies Auction http://www.pjtv.tv/auction.htm

Most amazing of all, in this world of ever changing fashions & fads, the Playboy Bunny costume has maintained its mystique, it's desirability, and in the more than 40 years since it was designed, it has never gone out of style - in fact, every effort to substantially change the style has failed miserably. And the reason is obvious - you can't improve perfection!. http://www.playboy.com/worldofplayboy/features/palmsnewbunny/bunny_history/p01.html

http://www.tvacres.com/sex_babes_playboy.htm  - even the newest Roberto Cavalli Playboy Bunny costumes for the Palms Casino in Las Vegas didn't veer far from the original design:

 
Playmate of the Year Tiffany Fallon strikes a sexy pose
sporting a leopard-print Cavalli costume during a
fashion show at Rain.

[BTW - if you clicked the links above & read the history of the Playboy Clubs, you know that Playboy bunny clubs & costumes were inspired by another Chicago "gentleman's Club" - The Gaslight Club. http://www.gaslightclubs.com/History.htm 

I was a singing Gaslight Girl in the late 1980's, and here's a bit of trivia for you:

1. The Gaslight Club opened in 1953, AND IS STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS -  Take a Tour of the Club...-

2. The man who was my manager there (Ray Dabizljevic - who had worked there for decades even back then) is now the owner, and

3. The oldest Gaslight Girl when I worked there was Elke, who I believe was at least 10 years older than I was. When I returned to the Gaslight Club 13 years after I stopped working there, Elke was still working & singing there (in her 60's??!) and she looked fantastic! So much for the validity of "Bunny Image"! - now, back to bunny costumes ...

Let me remind you of the Golden Rule: "he who has the gold makes the rules" - i.e. we live in a litigious society where people or businesses with money (especially those with lawyers on retainers - LIKE PLAYBOY) can file frivolous lawsuits for fun & profit like a gambling addict throws the dice in a craps game. But don't take my word for that - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terri_Welles 

http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=1501011&objectid=10409665

Playboy's position regarding the Playboy Bunny costume is that they have a patent on the costume (what they actually have as of 12/01/2006 is a cancelled USPTO service mark*) , and that all of the vintage Playboy Bunny costumes that Hef or PEI didn't personally auction, sell or give away, remain the stolen property of Playboy - even those liquidated by Playboy Club franchises, because the franchise contracts provided that the costumes were - and always would remain - the property of PEI. 

*UPDATE: April 2007  - Playboy has successfully received a USPTO trademark registration # 3234488 on the IMAGE of a Playboy Bunny costume for use in pretty much everything across the board including retail sales, books, food, drinks, video, electronics, clothing, jewelry, travel accessories, games, bed & bath, magazines, stationery, smokers articles, etc. Hence, they've cast a pretty wide net from which to fish for lawsuit prospects.

Hundreds of the vintage Playboy Bunny costumes were either illegally stolen from the Playboy Clubs by young (sentimental    :-)  ) Playboy Bunnies when they quit or were fired from the Playboy Club. Others were illegally sold by franchisees when their franchised Playboy Club went out of business and was liquidated. A handful were personally given to former Playboy Bunnies by Hugh Hefner  -  Former 1974 Playboy International Bunny of the Year Angie Chester claims to still have the gold bunny costume she wore in 1974 that was later gifted to her by Hef.

So, even if someone has a bill of sale from a Playboy Club franchise owner who sold them Playboy Bunny costumes, that piece of paper is worthless in the world of Playboy legal department, since Playboy never sold the costumes to the franchise owners in the first place.

There are a few places on the internet that will tell you where you might be able to locate sellers of vintage Playboy Bunny costumes,

there is x-bunny Nanci's site - http://www.explayboybunny.com/FAQ'S.htm#costume,  

and  Alan's site - http://www.explayboybunnies.com/bunnies.html ,

and occasionally Playboy's site http://www.playboy.com/worldofplayboy/features/auctions/,

and - of course - the biggest site in the world - www.ebay.com....

And once in a while, former Playboy Club Bunnies - who have considerable time, memories & emotions invested in their old bunny costume - will sell one (usually out of desperation or financial need)

But even if you do know where to find a vintage Playboy costume - and I know private collectors who are not mentioned here, as well as someone who sells re-made Playboy Bunny costumes as authentic vintage - unless you're willing to pay 5 figures for a Playboy certified complete Playboy Bunny costume purchased DIRECTLY from a Playboy authorized representative, you don't know what you are buying. I'm an ex-Playboy Bunny & I've learned the hard way - including buying from former Playboy Bunnies.

In other words, "(bargain) buyer beware", this web page is the only place that I know of where you'll learn what to look for, what questions to ask, what to expect, how to care for & store a vintage Playboy Bunny costume, as well as where Playboy Enterprises International stands regarding the legality of privately owned vintage Playboy Bunny costumes, and privately made Playboy Bunny costume replicas.

So even if you feel that you have legally acquired a vintage Playboy Bunny costume, if you carry it or wear it in public and/or are seen with it in your possession by any of "Hef's henchmen", you won't have a very happy Halloween  ... let me put it this way: I've heard some real horror stories about how Playboy legal has bullied people into paying fines (without so much as a court hearing), and/or bullied people into relinquishing their expensive Playboy Bunny costume acquisitions - even those that Playboy never owned, like a rare, European illustrated bound report about the "autopsy" of a vintage Playboy Bunny costume.

FAQs

Now, let's get to the questions. To make this page easier to navigate, I'm going to type out the questions as a clickable link, and when you click on the question that you want to know the answer to, it will immediately link you to the answer.

Q. Since vintage bunny costumes don't have size labels, what is the best way to find out if it will fit me?

Q. If I do find a vintage bunny costume online, what questions should I ask?

Q. If I can't wear a vintage Playboy Bunny costume, what would I do with one?

Q. I can't afford a vintage costume, and I'd prefer to have one I can wear - any suggestions?

Q. Do Playboy Bunnies exist today?

Q. Since vintage bunny costumes don't have size labels, what is the best way to find out if it will fit me?

A. I DO NOT SUGGEST THAT VINTAGE PLAYBOY CLUB COSTUMES BE WORN. These are collectible, historical garments that are 20 to 40+ years old, and people who wear them don't realize the implications - extinction.  I am a Vintage Playboy Club Bunny Costume Preservationist. Unless you don't mind losing a few thousand dollars and/or destroying a rare, irreplaceable vintage artifact, I strongly suggest that you NOT wear a vintage Playboy Bunny costume. Simply stated, the last "First Generation" Playboy Club in the USA closed over 20 years ago, meaning that an authentic vintage Playboy Bunny costume would be at least 20 years old - some are over 40 years old.**  ANY fabric that old which has not been meticulously stored to prevent deterioration WILL deteriorate. Typically, that means that the fabric and thread will be fragile, unwashable, and susceptible to rips or runs, or stains and discoloration from bodily moisture (like sweat); the bra cup foam will be in conditions ranging from  somewhat stiff and crackly to petrified and shedding a sandy or powdery substance (deteriorated foam). The ear wires may be fragile or even rusted, (easily broken) and the headband could be melted or brittle and easily broken. And those are just some of the common problems found in used vintage bunny costumes.  ** 

Even if you found a pristine costume from the 1980's - which the perfect condition would cost you a pretty penny (unless you knew some desperate x-Playboy bunny who spent all that time & money over the past 20 years to keep her costume in perfect condition & then had to sell it because of some crisis - and she will have emotions invested in her costume, too) you still run the risk of ripping, tearing, spilling ... and body fluids - and washings - will ruin the pristine condition, causing you to lose money as it deteriorates. Some people don't care about the money. I suggest we care about preserving history. Enough said about that.

There is a new Playboy Club in Las Vegas, but it is HIGHLY unlikely that their costumes will end up in the public sector, since Playboy has instituted a rule that security guards accompany any Playmate or Bunny who leaves Playboy premises on a promotion wearing a bunny costume.

Q. If I do find a vintage bunny costume online, what questions should I ask?

A. There are 3 or 4 main things you'll want to consider:

• Is it entirely complete, entirely vintage original, and was it entirely worn by and directly purchased from an authorized Playboy representative or an identifiable former  Playboy Club Bunny? (her name would be written in the cup & on the tail)

• Is EVERY piece - bodice,  ears, tail, cuffs, collar, bowtie, cufflinks, nameplate & rosette, laces, (shoes & stockings?) in supple (foam), clean and pristine conditions?

• Was it worn by a famous Playboy Bunny, and if so, is there physical, undeniable evidence of that?

• Is there any documentation - particularly a certificate from PEI (Playboy) and/or HMH (Hef) or a vertifiable former Playboy Bunny that certifies that the entire costume is an authentic Playboy Bunny Costume, and that it legally is the property of the seller?

All of that will simply help you determine the authenticity & value of what you are considering purchasing. 

Bargain hunters should be mindful of the fact that MANY vintage costumes have been "modified" (non-authentic parts added, repaired or replaced) by people looking to increase their profits - especially since Ebay provided an international and somewhat anonymous marketplace - and the sellers have misrepresented what they sold so that many people who believe that they have complete genuine vintage Playboy Bunny costumes do not.  One seller that I am aware of bought vintage costumes from genuine x- Playboy Bunnies & then used their relationship with that bunny (not me) to boost buyer confidence, all the while selling many counterfeit costumes as authentic & vintage. I know because they approached me to sell their costumes for them and they divulged too much information - I was appalled & said so. I don't know if they are still knowingly breaking the law, but it stands to reason that character doesn't change for no reason at all. Unlike them, I consulted an attorney before starting my Bunny PJ costume business & I have abided by the letter of the law & will continue to.

Also consider that the market place determines value. Obviously, the first criteria is to know that what is being represented is the absolute truth. Google may be able to help you with that (seller reputation). In all humility, in the past 5 years that I have been selling authentically styled, replica Playboy Bunny costumes, the market place has supported a value of over $1000.00 for a complete designer label Playboy Bunny PJ costume. Of course, I always try to create a way to make '"the best" affordable via sales & annual campaigns & our new concept of Playboy Bunny Parties (like Tupperware Parties, but MUCH more fun & exciting!!) .

Q. If I can't wear a vintage Playboy Bunny costume, what would I do with one?

A. Like most collectibles, you'd invest in its preservation - keep it safe from harm or damage in anticipation that the value will increase in time as many of these vintage costumes get put out of existence by people who wear them or otherwise let them deteriorate & contribute to their extinction. This is simply a function of the Law of Supply & Demand. I consider the vintage costumes to be of historical nature & value. I feel that we who are fortunate enough to own them should consider ourselves more caretakers than owners.  I consider myself a Playboy Club Bunny Costume preservationist.

Heat and humidity and salt air can do the most damage. (Ask where the costume is located & what conditions it's been stored in) Since the cups can be easily crushed in a closet or a drawer, I suggest stuffing them and storing the costume in a roomy, air-tight under-bed storage box, or display it as a work of art with a custom made Lucite Display case. http://www.pjtv.tv/display.htm

Q. I can't afford a vintage costume, and I'd prefer to have one I can wear - any suggestions?

A. Maybe - email me & I'll see if anyone I know has what you want.

Q. Do Playboy Bunnies exist today?

A. First, let me make a distinction: Playmates - the girls who pose as Playboy Magazine centerfolds - currently wear Playboy Bunny costumes for doing authorized Playboy promotions - and they are not allowed to serve drinks! Playboy Club Bunnies - the kind who served drinks & waited tables - became extinct in the USA in 1988 - and as of 2006, there is a Playboy Club at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas, and that is where the only "real"  Playboy Bunnies are today -  waiting tables there - just like we did decades ago. AND CHECK PLAYBOY.COM - I HEAR THAT THEY ARE HIRING BUNNIES IN LAS VEGAS!

Everyone wants to get in on the Playboy Bunny act - whose blog is this, anyway? http://playboy-bunnies.blogspot.com/

Playboy Bunnies - Attractive females wearing one-piece satin uniforms with a fluffy cotton tail, oversized-bunny ears, high heels and nylon stockings featured on the syndicated variety show PLAYBOY AFTER DARK.SYN/1969. Hosted by Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy magazine, the program served up a hip bachelor pad party as Hugh Hefner hobnobbed with celebrities who told jokes, sang songs and interacted with several Playboy Bunny regulars on the show. A few years earlier Hefner hosted a similar show called PLAYBOY'S PENTHOUSE/SYN/1959-60 that was taped at WBKB-TV in Chicago.

Playboy Bunnies are the personification of the Playboy corporate mascot, namely a rabbit. On February 29,1960, the first Playboy Club opened its doors at 116 E. Walton Street, just off Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Variety referred to the new Playboy Clubs as "20th Century Dreamworlds." The club offered a penthouse like atmosphere where only a select group of key holding VIPs could enjoy music, an alcoholic beverage and a lusty gaze at the luscious staff of Playboy Bunnies who were there to serve their clientele.  

The inspiration for the Playboy Bunnies, a sort of serving wench for the 20th century, came from a similar group of "Gaslight Girls" who served customers in Gay Nineties costumes (corsets and fishnet tights) at the exclusive Gaslight Club in Chicago. Following the suggestion that Hef's girls should sport rabbit costumes, Ilsa Taurins, then girlfriend of Playboy executive Victor Lownes, pieced together a makeshift costume (with help of her seamstress mother) and the Playboy Bunny was born. In 1962, French seamstress Renée Blot modified the original Bunny costume by reducing the size of the ears, and adding a bow-tie collar, shirt cuffs to its scanty ensemble. A rosette shaped name tag adorned the right hip of each Bunny so seated customers could easily ID their servers.

"Look but don't touch" was the mantra for the members of the Playboy Clubs. It wasn't until 1975 that Playboy Bunnies were given permission to date the club members (known as keyholders - who received a rabbit-headed metal Playboy key - replaced by a plastic key-card in 1966).

The satin Bunny costumes originally came in 10 to 12 colors but later branched out to include a rainbow of designs like psychedelic swirls and polka dots. But, the color scheme of the Bunny costumes were often determined by what best complemented the Bunnies own skin coloring. So, for example, dark-skinned Bunnies might wear pink and powder blue and redheads wear green. The color black was a sign of achievement and only issued to Bunnies with special or senior status. In some cases, a Playboy Bunny was elevated to  Playmate status. Jan Roberts was the first to earn the honor in August 1962.

What is the difference between a Bunny and a Playmate? Bunnies work at the Playboy Clubs and  wear the corporate Bunny costume. Playmates appear in Playboy magazine centerfold pictorials and usually are not seen wearing much of anything. On occasion, a Playmate will don a Bunny costume for a photo shoot or special event. There have been over 25000 Bunnies but only 500 Playmates.

When a Bunny left the employ of the Playboy clubs, they were required to hand in their costumes. Examples of the early costumes can be found on display at The Women's Museum in Dallas, The Chicago Historical Society,  and The Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.

Actress Kathryn Leigh Scott spent three years as a Playboy Bunny in the New York Playboy club before gaining fame as Maggie Evans on the Gothic soap opera DARK SHADOWS/ABC/1966-1971. Her book "The Bunny Years" chronicles her days as a Playboy sex symbol. The book is being developed into a film by Disney and Touchstone.

Other former Bunnies turned celebrity include super model Lauren Hutton, Hill Street Blues actress Barbara Bosson, General Hospital actress Jackie Zeman, Blondie singer Deborah Harry, Twin Peaks actress Sherilyn Fenn, Monty Python comic Carol Cleveland, and feminist Gloria Steinem who became a Playboy Bunny in 1963 to write an article. Her story was chronicled in the biopic TV Movie A Bunny's Tale (1985) starring Kirstie Alley.

By the late 1980s, the Playboy Club phenomenon was at an end, due mainly to dwindling memberships. But during their heyday over 1,000,000 keyholders flocked to admire thousands of beautiful Bunnies in L.A., Chicago, New York, London, Montreal, Tokyo, among other cities about the globe..

The last U.S. Playboy Club, in Lansing, Michigan closed on July 31st 1988. The last official Playboy Club, in Manila, closed during 1991. The clubs may be history but the legacy of the Playboy Bunny has earned a special place on the shelf of popular culture and will not soon be forgotten.

Playboy Bunny

A Playboy Bunny is a waitress at the Playboy Club. The Playboy Clubs were originally open from 1960–1988. The Club re-opened in one location in The Palms Hotel in Las Vegas in 2006.^[1] They wore a costume called a bunny suit inspired by the tuxedo-wearing Playboy rabbit mascot, consisting of a corset, bunny ears, a collar, cuffs, and a fluffy cottontail.

The Playboy Bunnies were waitresses that served drinks at Playboy Clubs. There were different types of Bunnies, including the Door Bunny, Cigarette Bunny, Floor Bunny, Playmate Bunny and the Jet Bunnies (waitresses that served on the Playboy Jet). To become a Bunny, women were first carefully chosen and selected from auditions. Then, they undergo a thorough and strict training before officially becoming a Bunny. Bunnies were required to be able to identify 143 brands of liquor and know how to garnish 20 cocktail variations. Dating or mingling with customers was strictly forbidden. Customers were also not allowed to touch the Bunnies, and demerits were given if a Bunny's appearance was not properly organized. Only the C1, most important "Keyholders" (a member of the Playboy Club) were allowed to date the Bunnies

A Bunny must also master the required manoeuvre to work. This included the "Bunny Stance", a posture that was required in front of patrons. The Bunny must stand with legs together, back arched and hips tucked under. When the Bunny is resting or while waiting to be of service, she must do the "Bunny Perch". She must sit on the back of a chair, sofa, or railing without sitting too close to a patron. The most famous manoeuvre of all, the "Bunny Dip" was invented by Kelly Collins, once renowned for being the "Perfect Bunny", To do the "Bunny Dip", the Bunny gracefully leans backwards while bending at the knees with the left knee lifted and tuck behind the right leg. This manuvuer allowed Bunny to serve drinks while keeping her low-cut costume in place. Strict regulations were enforced by special workers under the disguise of a patron.

Unlike the rumours and opinions that many have assumed, Playboy Bunnies were not prostitutes. Bunnies were not allowed to give out their last names, much less sleep with the patron. Working at the Club was very safe and the large wage was unheard of for women in the 1960s, thus, the job became very popular among women.

The Playboy Bunny outfit was the first service uniform registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (U.S. trademark registration number 0762884). Meagan Margaret Arstad was the first Playboy bunny dating back to 1956. The costume was made from rayon-satin constructed on a merry widow corset. Satin bunny ears, cotton tails, collars and cuffs completed the outfit. A name tag on a satin rosette was pinned over the right hip bone. The uniforms were custom made for each Bunny. There is a seamstress also known as a "Bunny Mother" for each Club to maintain the fit. The Club Manager had only two responsibilities for the Bunnies, floor service and weigh in. Before every shift the Manager would weigh in each Bunny. Bunnies could not gain or lose more than one pound. Exceptions were made for water retention. Playboy Enterprises required all employees to turn in their costumes at the end of employment and Playboy has some costumes in storage. Occasionally costumes are offered for sale on the Playboy Auction site or eBay.^[2] Some of the costumes on eBay may be counterfeit or damaged in some way. Genuine Bunny costumes in good condition have sold for over $10,000.^{[citation needed]} The only two on public display are in the collections of The Smithsonian^[3] and the Chicago History Museum.^[4]

There is a bar near the University of Illinois campus, in downtown Urbana, IL, that has a picture of Hefner hanging on the wall with a letter that appears to be signed by him. The letter indicates that the bar, called "Bunny's," served as inspiration for the famous playboy bunny mascot^{[citation needed]}.

Return of the Bunnies

In 2006, The Palms Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas opened the first new Playboy club in over a quarter-century, located on the 52nd floor of the Fantasy Tower. Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli was chosen to reimagine the original Bunny Suit.

International icon

The Bunny suit is also very popular in Japan, where it has lost much of its association with Playboy. In fact, it has become associated with sexiness in general, where they are referred to as bunny girls (or bunnygirls) and have an association with the female human/animal hybrids common in anime and manga known as kemonomimi. Bunnies should not be confused with Playboy Playmates, women who appear in the centerfold pictorials of Playboy magazine, although a few bunnies went on to become Playmates (see below).

Famous Bunnies

Many women who later became famous worked as Playboy Bunnies early in their careers including:

• Barbara Bosson

• Dale Bozzio

• Julie Cobb

• Carol Cleveland, who sometimes appeared on Monty Python's Flying Circus.

• Sara Dylan

• Sherilyn Fenn

• Deborah Harry, a musician and actress.

• Lauren Hutton

• Lynne Moody

• Patricia Quinn, an actress best known for her role as Magenta in the Rocky Horror Picture Show.

• Dolly Read

• Maria Richwine

• Kathryn Leigh Scott

• Carol Sharkey, a U.S. Marine and mother of musician Jon Bon Jovi.

• Gloria Steinem, who became a Bunny as part of an undercover journalistic assignment.

• Susan Sullivan

• Kimba Wood, a Federal Judge nominated for the post of U.S. Attorney General by Bill Clinton. (Note that Kimba Wood was actually only a Playboy Bunny trainee, but decided to enroll in Harvard Law School to become a lawyer instead.)

• Jackie Zeman

 Bunnies who became Playmates

• Helena Antonaccio

• Deanna Baker

• Lannie Balcom

• Kai Brendlinger

• Dianne Chandler

• Karen Christy

• Sharon Clark

• June Cochran

• Candace Collins

• Karla Conway

• Debbie Ellison

• Ava Fabian

• Jennifer Jackson

• Avis Kimble

• Terri Kimball

• Shay Knuth

• Melinda Ross

• Janet Lupo

• Laura Lyons

• Connie Mason

• Avis Miller

• Laura Misch

• Patti Reynolds

• Janis Schmitt

• Dolly Read

• Heather Van Every

• Carol Vitale

• Delores Wells

• Linnea Topp

• Rebecca Morris

References

The Bunny Years by Kathryn Scott

External links

• Ex-Playboy Bunnies Website

• Official Playboy UK site with UK and US Bunnies

• "Bunnyhood", Los Angeles Times article

• The History of the Playboy Bunny

• The Palms Playboy Club website

• Gaijin Hi, webcomic featuring a vampire bunnygirl