Costume Attendants
Select, fit, and take care of costumes for cast members, and aid entertainers. May assist with multiple costume changes during performances.
Also known as: Costume Attendant, Costume Cutter, Costume Draper, Costume Dresser, Costume Mistress, Costume Seamstress, Costume Shop Coordinator, Costume Specialist, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Faster than average)
What You'd Do
- Distribute costumes or related equipment and keep records of item status.
- Arrange costumes in order of use to facilitate quick-change procedures for performances.
- Return borrowed or rented items when productions are complete and return other items to storage.
- Clean and press costumes before and after performances and perform any minor repairs.
- Design or construct costumes or send them to tailors for construction, major repairs, or alterations.
- Purchase, rent, or requisition costumes or other wardrobe necessities.
- Check the appearance of costumes on stage or under lights to determine whether desired effects are being achieved.
- Inventory stock to determine types or conditions of available costuming.
- Collaborate with production designers, costume designers, or other production staff to discuss and execute costume design details.
- Monitor, maintain, or secure inventories of costumes, wigs, or makeup, providing keys or access to assigned directors, costume designers, or wardrobe mistresses/masters.
- Create worksheets for dressing lists, show notes, or costume checks.
- Examine costume fit on cast members and sketch or write notes for alterations.
- Review scripts or other production information to determine a story's locale or period, as well as the number of characters and required costumes.
- Study books, pictures, or examples of period clothing to determine styles worn during specific periods in history.
- Provide dressing assistance to cast members or assign cast dressers to assist specific cast members with costume changes.
- Assign lockers to employees and maintain locker rooms, dressing rooms, wig rooms, or costume storage or laundry areas.
- Direct the work of wardrobe crews during dress rehearsals or performances.
- Recommend vendors and monitor their work.
- Provide managers with budget recommendations and take responsibility for budgetary line items related to costumes, storage, or makeup needs.
- Participate in the hiring, training, scheduling, or supervision of alteration workers.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
Software and tools commonly used in this role
In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
Personality traits and work styles important for this career
Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
General types of job behaviors occurring on this job
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
Physical and social factors that influence the nature of work
Related Careers
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.