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Flossy McGrew's owner basks in 'creepy crawliness'

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Contributed by: Joseph Kirchmer/YourHub.com on 10/12/2008

It's a cloudy, mucky Friday afternoon and Suelynn Gustafson is giddily strolling around Flossy McGrew's, the storied costume shop located in south Denver.

Halloween is in the air as customers at Flossy's, 1824 S. Broadway, pick through the clothes that Gustafson has personally hand-selected for the store. Clearly, this is her favorite time of the year, a time for her to shine.

"I love Halloween," Gustafson says. "I think it can make your imagination go crazy. It's a time when you can mentally and visually create a whole new world."

Gustafson, who has been the owner of Flossy's McGrew's for 20 "nasty" years, has created one of the more unique costume shopping experiences in the city. Her 6,000-square foot store is packed to the brim with all kinds of oddities, everything from ugly Christmas sweaters to bizarre mannequins.

"I love what I do here," Gustafson says. "I couldn't imagine doing anything normal."

Gustafson, who frequently flashes a gold-toothed smile that compliments her colored pink hair, is anything but normal. She openly confesses her fascination for the morbid, a personality trait that made her the subject of a documentary dubbed Grandma Goth.

The movie, released in 2006, features the costume shop, along with a tour through her coffin-filled church.

"This is horrible, but I love Victorian death," she says of the obsession with death-related items she has had for more than 40 years.

Though she basks in the "creepy crawliness" of her shop, it's more about providing something unique for her customers, she says. Flossy McGrew's is one of the few costume shops in the city that stays open year round, a testament to her philosophy that combines equal parts ingenuity, good business sense and pure entertainment.

"If people can come here and laugh and have fun while they're finding their costume, that's what's important," Gustafson says.

Looking for a cool outfit? Here's a look at some other costume shops in Denver for all you last-minute shoppers:

-- The Wizard's Chest, 230 Fillmore St., Denver

-- Celebrity Vintage Clothing & Costume, 1866 S. Broadway, Denver

-- Studio Lites, 333 Broadway, Denver

-- Spirit Halloween Superstores, 1430 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver

-- Goodwill, 21 S. Broadway, Denver

-- Fascinations Sensual Shoppe, 4111 E. Virginia Ave., Denver

-- Cow Costumes, 3909 E. Evans Ave., Denver

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