About
Barbara Barbee Moore, a native San Antonian, attended Southern Methodist University and was a member of the Gymnastics and Modern Dance Team. She became a teacher of ballet, tap and gymnastics and operated her own dance studios for 20 years. She found it easier to design and make the dance costumes for over 300 students at recital time than to coordinate each mother’s effort. Her costuming interests grew with each recital and show.
Barbara began full time costuming in 1972 after buying an old established costume house in San Antonio. “Jill’s Costume Shop” dated from the turn of the century when many costumes were crepe paper costumes from the 20’s and 30’s. Her past experience combined with her ability as an artist and sculptor, an interest in literature, history and theater, costuming seemed to come easy for her and she thoroughly enjoyed it. The business grew and the name was changed to Starline Costume Products when the shop was moved to its present location at 1286 Bandera Road.
She is an active member of the National Costumers Association (NCA), having served on the NCA Board of Directors and numerous committees as well as having taught a record number of educational seminars at the NCA national conventions. She hosted the 1984 NCA annual convention in San Antonio. Nationally, Barbara is best known for her award winning mascots. She has won the Grand International Trophy several times and numerous memorial awards, prizes she treasures since these are voted on by her peers. Producing several mascots a week for the past 39 years, too numerous to record but among her favorites are the Spurs’ Coyote, University of Texas at San Antonio “Roadrunner”, Yale University Bulldog, Ohio State Buckeye, Nebraska State Corn Husker, Arkansas State Razorback, the Air Force Academy “Bird” as well as many local school and commercial mascots in the Southwest. She has delivered over 1,000 “chicken” mascots for Church’s Chicken distributed all over the United States and has produced and supplied a number of original designs to other commercial and school accounts.
Barbara Moore has costumed over 100 major theatrical productions in the last 30 years and has received critical acclaim as well as several San Antonio’s “Globe Awards” for her efforts. As a costumer doing “masquerade”, each costume is an individual design, however “theatrical” success is tying the entire scene or play together with time and place considerations to better help tell the story. Whether it is the San Antonio Symphony, the Pocket Opera, a Community Theater or a Grammar School play, she thoroughly enjoys “doing theater” either attending or costuming.
Julie Moore Keck (Barbara’s daughter) has served as the General Manager for over 36 years and helped grow a strong and sustainable business. Starline has a full-time staff who stay quite busy year round. The staff is heavily augmented and operating hours are increased during peak times. Each customer is special and the Halloween costume, the Santa Suit, the Bunny Rabbit or even Uncle Sam, all receive special attention, a practice that has helped Starline grow over the years. Starline Costumes helps turn fantasy to reality and business promotion to profits.