Art Careers / Costume Designer

Design

What Does a Costume Designer Do? An Art Career for Kids

Curious about this job? Here is what the work looks like, a typical day, the tools, where people do it and how to get started, plus a small activity so you can try it yourself.

What a costume designer does

A costume designer creates the clothes that actors wear in plays, movies, TV shows and dance performances. Costumes help the audience understand who a character is and when the story takes place.

Real-world examples: Ruth E. Carter, who won Academy Awards for the costumes in Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Edith Head.

A day on the job

  • Read the script and research clothing from the story's time and place
  • Sketch costumes and meet with the director
  • Choose fabrics and work with a team who sews and fits the costumes
  • Keep track of the costume budget

Tools of the job

  • Sketchbook and paints or markers
  • Fabric swatches
  • Sewing machines
  • Dress forms
  • Research books and photos
  • Budget spreadsheets

Where they work

  • Theaters
  • Film and TV productions
  • Dance and opera companies
  • Costume shops

The path in 4 steps

  1. Start now

    • Design costumes for characters in a book you love
    • Make costumes for dress-up or a family play
    • Learn some simple hand sewing

  2. In your teens

    • Join the costume crew for school theater
    • Take sewing, art and history classes
    • Keep a sketchbook of character designs

  3. Training

    A bachelor's degree is typical for designers, often in fashion design or theater. Assistant jobs, internships and a strong portfolio help people move into the work.

  4. Build a portfolio

    Costume sketches with fabric swatches, research pages, and photos of costumes on stage or screen.

Skills that help

  • Research
  • Drawing figures
  • Sewing knowledge
  • Character and story sense
  • Teamwork

Try this job

A small taste of the real work, using things you already have.

Pick one character, like a wizard, a pirate or a robot. Design two costumes for them: one for a story set 300 years ago and one set 300 years from now. Label the colors and materials you would use. Costume designers do this kind of research and imagining for every single character in a show.

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Learn more

For pay, job outlook and training details, read the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook page for this kind of work.

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Questions teachers and parents ask

What does a costume designer do?

A costume designer creates the clothes that actors wear in plays, movies, TV shows and dance performances. Costumes help the audience understand who a character is and when the story takes place.

How do you become a costume designer?

A bachelor's degree is typical for designers, often in fashion design or theater. Assistant jobs, internships and a strong portfolio help people move into the work.

What skills does a costume designer need?

Research, Drawing figures, Sewing knowledge, Character and story sense and Teamwork.

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