Costume: Anything that an actor wears on stage.

Depending on the needs of the Designer, the costumes can be accurate or “inspired by”, but they should be based on some sort of research.

Factors of Costume Design:

• Age
• Gender
• Social status
• Occupation
• Geographic Location
• Occasion/Activity
• Time of day
• Season/Weather
• Historical Period
• Psychological Factors (ex. personalities, emotions)

Sometimes the psychological will override the other factors of costumes. For example, someone might wear more formal clothes to signify that they are of a higher social status.

Costume Design Vocabularies:

• Costume Rendering: A sketch of a costume
• Swatch: A fabric sample
• Building: Making a costume
• Costume Parade: A procession where actors wear their costumes under the lights to ensure compatibility of the colors.
• Costume Plot: An outline that describes the colors, fabrics, and accessories for each costume design; kept by wardrobe manager.
• Wardrobe Manager: Person responsible for creating costume plot and caring for costumes during rehearsals and performances.
• Dressers: assistants who help with costume changes and help care for costumes.
• Quick change: switching costumes quickly during a performance.