FAQ

What is Castle Emerald?
We’re a custom costume workshop making cosplay costumes, props, and accessories entirely to your own measurements — nothing off a generic size chart. Alongside the store, we also run a free educational blog about costume-making and creative production.

How do I know I can trust ordering here?
We've done everything on our side to make ordering with us as safe as it can be. Here's exactly what that looks like:
• Payments are processed through Shopify Payments and PayPal, covering all major cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover) and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay) — we never see or store your full card details.
• Every shipment is insured, so you're covered if anything happens in transit.
• Before we ever start production, we personally confirm every detail of your order with you — nothing proceeds without your sign-off.
• If there's ever a mistake on our side, we fix it at our own cost — see our Refund Policy for the full details, which you're welcome to read before you order.

Where are your costumes made?
Every piece is handmade in our own full-cycle workshop in Ukraine. Our team includes tailors, hatters, shoemakers, a dedicated patternmaker, prop makers, digital designers, and specialists in 3D modeling, printing, and painting all under one roof. From there, it ships to you wherever you are in the world.

Does the war in Ukraine affect your ability to complete my order?
We're located far enough from the frontline to keep working, and after four years of operating under these conditions, we've adapted our workflow around it. The timelines we give you already account for this, so the date we promise is one we can realistically keep — over this time, we've completed and delivered close to 1,000 costumes without delays or issues.

What if something disrupts your workshop while my order is in production?
We rely on alternative material suppliers we can turn to quickly if something becomes hard to get, plus a generator and a large battery system that keep the workshop running through outages. In the rare event your order is genuinely damaged or destroyed during production because of circumstances beyond our control, we remake it at our own cost.

How do I place an order?
Choose your item, set your Size (always custom measurements), Color (standard as shown, or custom), and Fit (Men’s or Women’s), then check out. That’s it — we’ll take care of the rest by reaching out to confirm your measurements.

Why is Size always "Custom measurements" — is that the only option?
Custom measurements are what let us create a piece that’s genuinely made for you, not just a size off a chart — that’s really the whole point of what we do. Though if you'd rather not, there's a simpler option too — see below

Can I just give you my regular clothing size instead of taking full measurements?
We’re happy to work from a standard size table instead, if you’d rather not take measurements — just let us know when we reach out to confirm your order, and we won’t ask you for anything extra. That said, in our experience, real measurements always give a better result than an approximate table, so we’ll always recommend them first.

What’s the difference between "Standard" and "Custom" color?
Standard gives you exactly the color shown in the listing photos. Custom lets you tell us the color you actually have in mind instead — just leave us a note at checkout.

Can I order just part of a costume, like a single prop or accessory?
Yes. If you only need one piece rather than a full set, just message us and tell us what you’re after — we’ll put together an individual listing made specifically for that.

What does "Men’s Fit" or "Women’s Fit" actually mean?
It’s simply about the cut — a straighter fit or a more tailored one — and has nothing to do with your gender or what’s shown in the product photo. Pick whichever suits you, whether that’s for self-expression or the most accurate build for your character.

I made a mistake while ordering, or I’m not sure I got everything right. What now?
Not a problem — nothing is final at checkout. We’ll go over every detail with you personally before any fabric is cut.

Can I pay in installments?
In some cases, yes — it depends on the item, so check the listing or ask us directly. If an installment plan is available, your first payment gets your order started so it stays on track for your timeline. Every remaining payment follows the schedule we agree on together, and everything needs to be paid off before your order ships.

What payment methods do you accept?
All major cards — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover — plus Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Shop Pay for faster checkout where available. Need to pay another way, like with crypto? Just message us and we’ll send you an invoice.

Is it safe to enter my card details on your site?
Yes. Our store runs on Shopify’s platform, checkout is encrypted, and payments are processed by Shopify Payments, a PCI DSS Level 1 certified provider — the highest security standard in the payments industry. We never see or store your full card number.

What if my payment is declined?
That decision comes from your bank, card issuer, or payment provider, not from us. Double-check your details and balance, or reach out to us if you need help completing your order.

Will I ever be charged extra without warning?
No. If something you’ve requested needs extra materials or workshop time, we’ll always tell you the cost and send a separate invoice first — never a surprise charge afterward.

How do you know what size to make my costume?
Once you order, we email you the exact list of measurements needed for that specific piece, with clear instructions on how to take them — so make sure the email you use at checkout is one you actually check.

What if I have trouble taking my own measurements?
Just let us know — we'll send extra photo or video instructions, or walk you through it directly, until you're confident you've got it right.

What if I'm not confident my measurements are accurate?
Our patternmaker personally reviews every set of measurements, and if something looks unusual for a proportional body — unusually small, large, short, or long — we'll reach out with questions before moving forward. We're also always glad to receive photos alongside your measurements, no need to show your face, since they help us better understand your proportions and can help catch any inconsistency in the numbers.

When does production actually start?
Only once you’ve provided your measurements and confirmed every detail of your order with us.

Can I request changes like a different material, extra pockets, or adaptive features?
Yes — we agree on all of this together before production starts. Plenty of adjustments, like swapping to a similar-cost material or smaller tweaks, don’t add anything to your total at all. If a change genuinely needs extra materials or time, we’ll quote and invoice it separately first, and only once you’ve approved it.

Can I still make changes once production has started?
Possibly — it depends on how far along production is and whether the change can still be applied at that stage. Just ask us and we’ll let you know.

How will I know how my order is progressing?
We’ll email you at each key milestone — when your measurements have been checked, when production begins, and when your order is ready. If you’d like more than that, just ask and we’re happy to send extra photos or videos along the way.

How long does production take, and can I get it done faster?
Timelines vary by item and are shown on the listing. If you need it faster, contact us directly — we’ll check our workshop’s current workload and give you an honest answer. Keep in mind that timeline begins once your measurements and details are confirmed, not at checkout.

What is a Rush Order?
It’s an optional add-on for select items that speeds up production through overtime and weekend work, for an additional fee. Availability and cost are shown on the individual listing where offered.

What happens if you can’t reach me to confirm my measurements?
We’ll try to reach you periodically for up to 12 months. If we still haven’t heard from you after that, your order is paused until you get back to us. If you return after that pause, we’ll continue at your original price — unless material costs have risen significantly in the meantime, in which case we’ll tell you about any adjustment before resuming, and you can accept it or cancel.

Which countries do you ship to?
We ship to every country we're aware of — if a courier can get there, so can we. (Antarctica's still on the wishlist.)

How long will shipping take?
You’ll see an average delivery estimate on the listing for that item, but the actual time depends on your destination and the carrier. If you have a deadline, let us know when you order — or when we reach out to confirm your measurements — and we’ll check the current average delivery time to your country specifically.

Can I get express shipping?
For situations where you really need it, yes — this runs through a different, considerably more expensive carrier, so it’s handled case by case. Reach out and we’ll calculate the cost and timeframe for your specific order.

Will I be able to track my order?
Yes — every order ships with a tracking number and a direct link to the carrier’s tracking page, so you can see exactly where your parcel is at any time, always.

What if my parcel is lost or arrives damaged?
This is very rare — 97.8% of parcels arrive in full order. But to remove even that small risk, every shipment is insured. If yours is lost or damaged in transit through no fault of your own, we’ll remake and reship it at our own cost. (This doesn't cover customs-related issues — see below.)

What if I gave the wrong shipping address, or need to change it before my order ships?
Just let us know as soon as you notice — as long as your order hasn’t shipped yet, we’ll make sure it’s corrected and sent to the right place.
What if I notice an address mistake after my order has already shipped?
Let us know right away and we’ll contact our carrier to find out what’s possible at that stage. In many cases, the recipient can actually update the delivery address themselves while the parcel is in transit — if that’s an option, we’ll pass along the carrier’s exact instructions so you can make the change directly.

If I order multiple items, will they ship together?
Whatever works best for you. Want to save on shipping? We're happy to combine everything into one box once it's all ready. Need each piece as soon as it's done instead? We can send them separately. Just let us know which you'd prefer.

Can I add another item to my order after I’ve already placed it?
Yes — if we’re still working on your original order, just let us know what you’d like to add. We’ll ship everything together in one box, which is cheaper than two separate shipments, and send you a separate invoice for the additional item — calculated to cover exactly the difference, with no markup.

Will I have to pay customs duties or import taxes?
Possibly, yes — it depends on your country's laws. But we take on as much of this as we can from our side: where our carrier gives us the option to cover these costs, we do. Where that isn't possible, these charges are set by your local customs authority and become your responsibility to pay on delivery.

What happens if I don't collect my parcel in time?
Depending on your country's rules, an uncollected parcel — or one where required customs fees haven't been paid — may be destroyed or sent back to us by customs. Please make sure to collect your order and settle any customs charges promptly to avoid this.

What happens if my parcel is returned to you by customs?
You’ll have two options: we can reship it to you once you’ve covered the customs fee charged to us on its return, plus the cost of reshipping — or, if you’d rather not cover that, we’ll treat it as though the order is no longer wanted and won’t collect the returned parcel ourselves, in which case it will be destroyed by customs.

What if my order ends up destroyed by customs?
We’ll have already made and shipped your piece exactly as planned, so that side of things is complete on our end. If you’d still like to receive it, you’re welcome to place a new order, and we’ll happily make and send it again.

Do you sell prop weapons?
Yes — but shipping isn’t guaranteed everywhere. All weapon-shaped items we sell are decorative cosplay imitations, not functional weapons, but import rules for realistic-looking replicas vary a lot by country, and some countries restrict them even when purely decorative. It’s your responsibility to check whether an item can legally enter your country before ordering. If customs seizes, refuses, or destroys a shipment because of import restrictions on the item itself, that’s outside our control, and no refund applies in that case.

Can I return my costume once it’s made?
Since it’s created specifically to your measurements, it isn’t eligible for a standard return once production is complete. You can, however, cancel completely free of charge any time before we’ve started.

What if my costume doesn’t fit when it arrives?
We’ll figure out together where the issue came from. If it’s a mistake on our side, we fix it entirely at our own cost — a local alteration reimbursed for smaller issues, or a full remake and reshipping for bigger ones.

What if the fit issue turns out to be from a measurement I got wrong?
That happens sometimes, and we understand it can be stressful — even though it’s not something we’re responsible for, we’ll do everything we can to help sort it out with as little cost and hassle to you as possible: guidance for a local adjustment where possible, or if a remake is genuinely needed, we’ll always quote you the minimum cost to fix it before doing anything.

How long do I have to report a problem with my order?
Please reach out within 1 month of receiving it, so we can take care of it.

Can I return a standardized (non-custom) item?
A small number of our items are made from standardized measurement tables rather than your own — marked with a "Standard stock item" badge — though we still make each one to order. If you’re in the EU, UK, or another country with an equivalent legal right, you can return these within 14 days of delivery, unused and in original condition. We’ll refund the price of the item itself; return shipping is your responsibility, and the cost of the original shipping to you isn’t refunded in a change-of-mind return.

I’m not in the EU or UK — does this still apply to me?
That specific 14-day return right is a legal requirement in the EU, UK, and similar countries, so it’s tied to where you live — for everyone else, including our customers in the US, Canada, and Australia, this particular return window isn’t something we’re able to offer. What does apply everywhere, no matter where you live, are our production and measurement guarantees above: if anything about your costume is wrong because of an error on our side, we fix it at our own cost, regardless of your location.

Will my refund match exactly what I paid?
Not necessarily. If your payment involved a currency conversion — for example through your card issuer’s or payment provider’s own conversion via Shopify Payments or PayPal — the refunded amount may differ slightly due to exchange rate movements between payment and refund. That difference isn’t something we control.

How can I contact you?
By email at manager@castleemerald.org — that’s our main channel for anything order-related, including sensitive details like measurements or reference photos.

How fast do you respond?
We aim to reply within 12–24 hours. Because we work with customers across time zones, there can be some natural delay, and during peak season (like our Halloween rush) response times can stretch to about 48 hours.

What if my situation doesn’t seem to fit anything above?
Just reach out and tell us what’s going on. Every order is handled personally, and we’ll work with you directly to sort it out.

Is my personal information kept private?
Yes. We treat every order, your measurements, and your project details as confidential, and we don’t share your information with anyone beyond what’s genuinely needed to make and ship your order, like our payment and shipping providers.

Why do you need my phone number?
It's for our shipping carrier — so they can reach you directly if any question comes up about delivering your parcel.

What happens to photos I send for fitting purposes?
They’re used only to create your product, stored securely with limited staff access, and never processed using AI tools.

Can I ask you to delete my data?
Yes — you can request deletion of your personal information at any time, unless we’re legally required to keep it (for example, for tax records).

Do you sell my data to advertisers?
No, never for money. We do use standard tools like Google Ads for our own store marketing, which in some US states can legally count as "sharing" for advertising purposes — you can opt out any time; see our Privacy Policy for details.