CAREER

Costume Attendants

Overview

Salary Median (2020)

$47,850

Projected Job Growth (2019-2029)

+4.7% (slower than the average)

Career

What Costume Attendants Do

Select, fit, and take care of costumes for cast members, and aid entertainers. May assist with multiple costume changes during performances.

Other Job Titles Costume Attendants May Have

Costumer, Dresser, Wardrobe Assistant, Wardrobe Attendant

How Leaders Describe a Typical Day at Work

Wardrobe & Makeup Supervisor ,

Blue Man Group

The first thing I do when I arrive at work is do laundry, it's a very messy show! I restock costumes, do repairs, place orders with vendors, and make sure everything is ready for the show. I set costumes in their onstage locations and set the dressing rooms. I apply the bald caps and makeup to performers, and then get them into costume. I am there to assist the performers and do touch ups on their makeup. Afterward, I get the performers out of costume and makeup, do laundry, and then go home.

Master Craftsperson ,

Los Angeles Opera

Today for example, I got to work and made sure each of my three assistants had projects going. I had about 7 chorus fittings to attend as well where I fit masks, stove pipe top hats and crazy looking monocles. All of these things are created in my workshop from scratch. I worked on a pattern for a hat and then put it together in leather. I corrected a pattern that an assistant was working on and talked her through various steps for her project. Yesterday I was sculpting antlers and painting.


Tasks & Responsibilities May Include

  • Create worksheets for dressing lists, show notes, or costume checks.
  • Provide dressing assistance to cast members or assign cast dressers to assist specific cast members with costume changes.
  • Arrange costumes in order of use to facilitate quick-change procedures for performances.
  • Design or construct costumes or send them to tailors for construction, major repairs, or alterations.
  • Examine costume fit on cast members and sketch or write notes for alterations.

This page includes information from theO*NET 26.1 Databaseby the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under theCC BY 4.0license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.