A lead character in a 30-day feature might have 14 changes across 22 story days, and every one of them has to say something about where she is in the story. The costume designer also has to know that change 9 gets rained on in scene 71, so it needs three identical copies, and that the actor is a size that no rental house has in 1970s menswear.
Reading the script by character and day
A costume designer's first document is the costume breakdown. It lists every scene by story day, so the designer can see when a character is in the same outfit across scenes shot weeks apart, and when time has passed and they need a change. A simple breakdown for one character:
| Change | Story days | Scenes | Description | Multiples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day 1 | 3, 5, 6 | Work uniform, name tag | 2 |
| 2 | Day 1 night | 9, 10 | Jeans, flannel, jacket | 1 |
| 3 | Day 2 | 12, 14, 71 | Office clothes, gets soaked in 71 | 3 |
| 4 | Day 4 | 30 to 34 | Funeral black | 2 (stunt fall in 33) |
Multiples come from stunts, blood, water, dirt progression, and doubles. If the stunt coordinator is putting a double in change 4, that's another costume in the double's size. The wardrobe breakdown template uses the same columns.
Prep: research, sourcing, and fittings
Design starts with research. For a period film that means photographs, catalogs, and museum collections from the right year and place. For contemporary work it means the character's income, job, city, and habits. The designer builds boards by character and shows them to the director, and checks palette with the production designer and DP.
Then sourcing: buying at retail, renting from costume houses, and building in a workroom or with outside makers. A common split on a mid-budget feature: contemporary clothes are bought, period pieces are rented, and hero pieces or anything that needs a specific fit gets built.
Fittings take up much of prep. A lead actor may have three or four fittings, each an hour or more. The production office schedules them around cast availability, and the costume department takes photos of each approved look for the continuity book. Background actors are dressed in groups, often on the day, from racks the costumers bring.
During the shoot
The costume designer's time shifts from the fitting room to the set and back. On the first day of any new costume, the designer usually checks it on set before the first shot with the director, then leaves set operations to the costume supervisor and set costumers. The rest of the week goes to fittings for upcoming characters, day player fittings, and managing costume changes when the schedule changes. When scenes move, changes can suddenly be needed days earlier.
Budget
The costume budget (the wardrobe account, 2900 in Storiara's generated chart) covers purchases, rentals, manufacturing, alterations, cleaning, and loss and damage, and usually crew labor. The designer builds the first estimate from the breakdown with the supervisor, then works within it with the line producer. A period film with 400 background actors in wool coats costs more in rentals, cleaning, and dressing crew than a contemporary drama with the same cast.
A designer's personal kit or box rental covers what they bring: laptop, reference books, sketching tools, fitting supplies. It's negotiated weekly on the deal memo and paid separately from wages.
Union structure
Hollywood costume departments are split across two IATSE locals. Costume designers, assistant costume designers, and costume illustrators are in the Costume Designers Guild, Local 892. Costume supervisors and costumers are in Motion Picture Costumers, Local 705. In New York, costume designers are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA 829.
The CDG lists several ways to qualify as a costume designer. One is a costume design credit on a non-union production organized by IATSE, with independent documentation such as a deal memo, crew list, or call sheet. Another is credit on at least one feature, television production, commercial, or music video made for commercial release, plus three signed letters of recommendation from costume designers or working professionals. A former Local 705 costume supervisor can apply with documentation and three letters from costume designers, line producers, or directors. The CDG says student projects don't count and it may conduct an in-person interview.
Minimum pay for designers is set in the Local 892 agreement with producers, and designers with credits regularly negotiate above it.
Getting there
Designers often come up through the department as costumers, supervisors, or assistant costume designers, or from theater design. Directors and producers hire from past work, so a clear portfolio of character boards and production photos matters.
Storiara in the costume department
Storiara reads the script and generates a list of wardrobe items along with props, and each item can carry photos, cost fields, and availability and be found in the script. It's a draft breakdown the designer's team can correct and expand by character and scene. See Props & Wardrobe.