Finished Costumers own the glamorous territory of the set, office, shops, and costume houses where they perform “on and off production” responsibilities and work with the finished costumes on shows, commercials, films and streaming projects. That might involve cinching celebrity waistlines, camouflaging flaws, or accentuating curves. Finished Costumers are known for their last-minute creativity and adaptability. Their main job is to acquire, organize, monitor and maintain costumes worn by principal actors and background artists. Depending on the production’s needs, Finished Costumers collaborate with the Costume Designer to bring the Designer’s vision to life. Other duties include management, “pulling” costumes from rental houses, shopping for fabrics and garments, and organizing, handling and general operation of the costume department.

Finished Costumers are responsible for working with completed costumes.

COSTUME DEPARTMENT SUPERVISORS

Costume Department Supervisors manage, supervise and handle the general operation of the costume department. A Costume Supervisor may perform any job that falls under the jurisdiction of Finished Costumers. Responsibilities include organizing the Costume Department, making sure that it functions properly and avoiding production delays. The Costume Supervisor hires Costumers, breaks down scripts and acquires research materials. They fit and handle costumes – and they may also costume actors or actresses for shooting tests. Supervisors shop for, purchase or rent the necessary costumes, find costumes and supervise the manufacture of costumes.

COSTUME DEPARTMENT FOREPERSON

Costume Department Forepersons oversee studio costume houses, rather than work on productions. They manage and supervise the stock specialists and other costumers who facilitate the rental operations. Our costume houses store and rent out previously used costume pieces so that good things don’t go to waste.

COSTUME DEPARTMENT KEYPERSON

Key Costumers are the backbone of production, taking on significant roles to make the Costume Designer’s vision a reality. They may lead teams of other costumers or take charge of a second production unit.

COSTUMER (ALSO KNOWN AS JOURNEYPERSON) OR COSTUMER ENTRY LEVEL

Costumers, whether Journeyperson or Entry Level assist the Costume Supervisor or Keyperson with their regular duties. They may be assigned any job within the Costume Department as determined by the Supervisor and/or Key.  They may also be assigned to fit principals and background players, or maintain and monitor those actors on set. They also work in costume houses helping to pull costumes and process orders.

STOCK CLERK

Stock Clerks size, sort and restock the massive number of costume pieces at a costume house. They are the librarians of the costume world, making order out of chaos so hundreds of thousands of costume pieces are organized and accessible when needed.

Custom Made members are the costume makers and managers who supervise the manufacturing department, make and cut patterns, and provide men’s and women’s tailoring. Custom Made craftspeople also trim, stitch, alter and finish the costumes before they go in front of the camera, or repair them after on-camera shenanigans have occurred.  Custom Made Costumers work on every level of manufacturing, including making hats, shoes, armor, and even creating or modifying the fabric itself!

Custom Made Costumers are responsible for the manufacture and alteration of costumes.

Custom Made members are divided into “Women’s Custom Made” and “Men’s Custom Made,” depending on the type of clothing they create. In recent years, however, costume manufacturers are less likely to specialize between womenswear and menswear. In addition, the category of “Specialty Custom Made” has become an increasingly important division due to the rise of superhero, sci-fi, and fantasy productions.

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COSTUME MAKER CLASS 1

MANUFACTURING FOREPERSON

A Manufacturing Foreperson supervises the entire manufacturing department or a section of it, under the direction of a Costume Supervisor and/or Costume Designer. They assign jobs, ensure quality control, and manage the department’s time and money.

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COSTUME MAKER CLASS 2

PATTERN MAKER AND FITTER 

A Pattern Maker & Fitter makes patterns, cuts fabric pieces, and fits women’s garments from specific designs or sketches. They assist and advise the selection of fabrics and notions, and they may delegate steps to a team of Table Persons, Drapers and other manufacturers. *This position is often also called a Draper in theatrical costuming and other parts of the entertainment industry. In Hollywood, the term “Draper” is not someone who makes patterns. (See below)

MEN’S TAILOR CUTTER AND/OR GANG BOSS

A Tailor Cutter (the title of “Gang Boss” has fallen out of use) drafts men’s garment patterns, cuts materials, and fits tailored suits and other costumes to actors from designs or sketches. The Tailor Cutter also selects or assists in the selection of materials to be used, working under the direction of a Costume Designer, Manufacturing Foreperson and/or Department Head. The Men’s Tailor Cutter supervises the work of other Tailors within the Men’s Costume Department (or team).

SPECIAL COSTUME KEYPERSON

Special Costume Keypersons create the building blocks of fantastical costumes such as superheroes, aliens, and elven warriors and wizards. As these genres of film and TV become more popular, these “Specialty Costumers” have become highly sought after for their unique and varied skills. The popularity of Cosplay has not only highlighted attention on this type of work, but many of our Specialty Costumers begin their careers in Cosplay, and go on to become master artisan costumers. Specialty Costumers may work in unique new fabrics, plastics and metals, or a growing array of unconventional materials to create things that have never been done before. Keypersons are the team leaders that generate the ideas to create costumes that require non-traditional techniques and out-of-the-box thinking.

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COSTUME MAKER CLASS 3

WOMEN’S GARMENT TAILOR

Women’s Garment Tailors create women’s suiting, drafting patterns and coordinating with others to get the perfect fit for a tailored jacket or classy trousers.

MILLINER

Milliners design, make and decorate hats and their ornaments. Milliners also style, re-style, re-model and refurbish hats of all kinds. They may work on their own or oversee a team of assistants to fashion any type of headpiece, from ancient cultures to modern classics to futuristic dystopias.

TABLE PERSON

Often called a “First Hand” in other areas of costume manufacturing, a Table Person supervises the work of a group of finishers assigned to a project. A Table Person cuts material from patterns, marks them, and prepares them to be assigned to stitchers and finishers. They may make patterns, manufacture special items (ties, belts, ornaments), and take on other special roles as the bridge between the Pattern Maker and the workers assembling the final product.

FIGURE MAKER

A figure maker takes required measurements and develops dress forms from such measurements; makes muslin patterns to fit dress forms; and fits muslin patterns to artists. An actor’s time is precious and they can’t always be on hand to fit a garment at every step of the process. A Figure Maker will build or alter a dress form to perfectly match an actor’s dimensions, so the costume makers can get the perfect fit for the final product.

HEAD DYER

A Head Dyer oversees the dyeing, painting or other modification of fabric and garments, under the direction of the Costume Supervisor, and/or Costume Designer. They master all manner of fabric modifications from the very subtle to the very ornate. They also often apply techniques to “age” or “distress” a costume to make something brand new look like it’s been through hell. Head Dyers also have to become safety experts, as their work with highly toxic chemicals can be dangerous without proper protocols, equipment or ventilation.

ALTERATION FITTER or MEN’S TAILOR FITTER 

Alteration Fitters and Tailor Fitters alter pre-existing garments to fit the talent cast in the role to the Designer’s specifications. Almost every piece of clothing you see on a movie, television show, or commercial has been custom altered to fit. They also specialize in alterations that can be reversed so that rented costumes can be returned as they were without permanent changes.

COAT, PANT AND VEST MAKER 

The primary stitchers of men’s tailoring, a Coat, Pant & Vest Maker pieces together the parts of a men’s suit with precision and accuracy. They follow the instructions of a Tailor Cutter for the meticulous creation of a custom suit.

WARDROBE SPECIALTY MANUFACTURER 

Wardrobe Specialty Manufacturers create, repair and alter specialty costumes, working with an ever-growing array of materials. They are the team of the Specialty Costume Keyperson, building incredible items from the designer’s imagination.

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COSTUME MAKER CLASS 4

DRAPER/STITCHER

A Draper/Stitcher in the Hollywood costume industry is different from how live theatre uses the term. Our Stitchers arrange, pin, baste, and stitch pieces under the guidance of a Pattern Maker & Fitter, or the Table Person leading their team. They ensure the final product is accurate and durable, ready for the actor.

SHIRT MAKERS 

Shirt Makers sew and alter men’s shirts of all types, whether from existing patterns, period standards, or unique patterns made by a Tailor Cutter. While often overshadowed by the suits, a perfectly tailored men’s shirt is every bit as vital to a comfortable and stylish look.

DYER

A Dyer dyes, tints, bleaches or strips materials and completed costumes under the direction of a Head Dyer. They may also age and distress costumes to give that “lived in” feel.

BEADERS

Beaders sew and embroider beads onto garments and accessories. While the need for this has diminished greatly as casual clothing styles become more common, a Beader’s work is unparalleled and essential, especially in period clothing. Whether by painstaking hand work or unique specialty machines, beading is an art unto itself.

ALTERATION TAILOR 

An Alteration Tailor alters existing garments in the men’s department, preserving the integrity of the suits.

SPECIAL COSTUME MANUFACTURER

Special Costume Manufacturers are the workers tasked with supporting the creation of specialty costumes, working with new techniques and materials to create the incredible costumes on your favorite superheroes or sci-fi creatures. They work on teams of Specialty Costumers taking on the creation of costume pieces for things that have never been done before.

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COSTUME MAKER CLASS 5

SPECIAL OPERATORS

Special Operators cover a wide variety of skills, often called “costume crafts” in the theatrical world. They make masks, headpieces, odds and ends, and work with all manner of materials. They also execute special designing on materials with dyes and other applications as needed to create art out of nothing.

MILLINERY-MAKERS

Millinery-Makers work under a Milliner to perform the essential tasks to create hats and headgear of all types.

FINISHERS

Finishers are those costumers that put on the final touches. They may use machines or sew by hand to put on those little details that make a garment sparkle. Whether it’s trimmings, lace or embellishments, their skills make things pop!

TAILOR’S HELPER 

Tailor’s Helpers do finishing, trimming, binding, make button holes and sew on buttons, sew in linings, and do other special work on tailored items under the direction of a Tailor Cutter. Like Finishers on women’s garments, a Tailor’s Helper provides all those little details that give those important details to a men’s garment.

 

Responsible for all aspects of costuming a television commercial, our Commercial Costumers are the sprinters of the costume world. From searching out weird costume pieces in costume rental houses to dressing A-list celebrity spokespeople, a Commercial Costumer is involved with almost every aspect of what you see on screen. Commercial production operates at high speeds, creating mini movies in a few weeks or even days, and with the variety of costumes needed for commercials, it can be one of the most exciting and interesting paths of costuming.

Commercial Costumers are responsible for costumes used under the Commercial Contracts.

 

Live Television Costumers are true quick-change artists working in the fast-paced, challenging worlds of Soap Operas, Talk Shows and Game Shows. These Costumers create or set the look on stars and guests, and are responsible for the costumes designed, constructed and procured. Other responsibilities cover the general operation and assignment of specific costume-related duties, including script breakdown, budgeting, purchasing, manufacturing/alterations and costume continuity.

Live Television Costumers are responsible for costumes used under the Live Television Contracts.

Many of our shows under “Live Television” contracts – like Soap Operas – are no longer aired live, but the traditional titles and roles still exist.

SUPERVISING COSTUMERS

Supervising Costumers are in charge of the costume and wardrobe aspects of a production. They break down scripts, make budgets, and oversee the renting, purchasing, buying or creation of costumes for the production.

COSTUMERS OR WARDROBE MASTER AND MISTRESS

Wardrobe Master or Mistress are terms for Key Costumers on some contracts, and have similar roles. They may lead other Costumers, or may be responsible for an entire talk show by themselves, under a Supervising Costumer or Department Head.

COSTUMERS OR WARDROBE MEN AND WOMEN

Like Journeyperson Costumers, Wardrobe Men/Women perform the bulk of the day to day tasks in the Live TV world. They prep costumes and dress actors, monitor continuity on set, or do the shopping and rental pulls to find those perfect looks.

COSTUMER ENTRY LEVEL OR JUNIOR GRADE WARDROBE MEN AND WOMEN

As with our other titles in Live TV, the newer term of Costumer Entry Level is slowly replacing the title of Junior Grade Wardrobe. Junior Grades or Entry Level perform most of the same tasks as the Journeyperson, but are newer employees who may be learning their craft, and are generally supervised very closely by someone above them.

CUSTOM MADE COSTUMERS

Many of the talented artists and costume manufacturers who work in Live TV have been historically referred to as “Seamstress”, however Local 705 has eliminated that term from our contracts after years of negotiations. Our Custom Made Costumers on Live TV may perform any or all of the tasks related to the manufacture or alteration of costume pieces. Some Live TV productions have large departments divided into different classifications, while others may be a single person fitting and altering everyone you see on your screen.

Costume House Employees work in our Independent Signatory Costume Houses, which rent and manufacture costumes, and sell costume-related supplies and equipment. Many Costume House Employees are subject experts knowledgeable about different periods, uniforms, and genres. Costume House Employees facilitate costume rentals and made-to-order services for productions and studios that come to them to supply the special needs of their own costume departments. Costume Houses vary in their services. Some are large operations that have rental and full manufacturing departments, while others are only made-to-order houses. 

Costume House Employees are responsible for renting and manufacturing costumes.