Introduction

to
Costume Design
What are you wearing today?
WHY?
What kind of questions does this
answer?
O That’s what a costume designer does!
O They ask questions about a CHARACTER
O They answer those questions with DESIGN
CHOICES
O They make them a part of the finished
product: THE COSTUME
 WHO?
O That is the biggest question
O Personality?
O Likes?
O Dislikes?
O What would they buy?
O Or make?
O Economical status?
O Materials available?
O Location?
O AND MORE!
 WHAT?
O What are they doing in the play? For a living?
O Planting a garden?
O Attending a masked ball?
 WHEN?
O TIME influences dress.
 WHERE?
O We live in Georgia…Would your outfit be
different if we lived somewhere else?
O Weather
O Fashion/Economical status changes with place
 WHY?
This is what a designer does!
O Let’s say you are a designer, given a script,
with a character. Here is a description:

O “35 year old male lawyer, living in Ohio

during the Great Depression”

O What sticks out?

 Answer is…
O “35 year old male lawyer, living in Ohio during the Great Depression”

O 35: He is an adult, will not dress youthfully

O Lawyer: Office setting clothing is different from outdoor or “Blue

Collar” labor

O Ohio: different climate than where we live

O Great Depression: affects his economical status, also dressed in time

period appropriate clothing.

O This is called: ANALYZING A SCRIPT

 Elements of a Costume
O Line (shape/silhouette)
O Color
O Fabric
O Accessories

O What do these elements say about a costume?

Line
Color
Fabric
Accessories
Tell Me About:
Objectives of a Costume
O Set the tone and style of the play
O Time and place
O Characterization
O Underline relationships
O Symbolism
O Meet practical needs
 In Your Script
O Think about all of these things…
O Pick a character
O What does the script say about the what they
are wearing
O Directly
O Indirectly

Do a quick, rough sketch of your chosen character

in their chosen outfit.
O https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plp0NWL7si8