Costume Attendants

Career Overview

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

Also Known As

• Costumer
• Dresser
• Wardrobe Assistant
• Wardrobe Supervisor

Alternate Job Titles

• Costume Attendant
• Costume Cutter
• Costume Draper
• Costume Dresser
• Costume Mistress
• Costume Seamstress
• Costume Shop Coordinator
• Costume Specialist
• Costume Technician
• Costumer
• Costumer Assistant
• Draper
• Dresser
• Fashion Assistant
• Shop Attendant

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities 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.
• Distribute costumes or related equipment and keep records of item status.
• Check the appearance of costumes on stage or under lights to determine whether desired effects are being achieved.

Emerging Responsibilities

As this field evolves, you may also:

• Create patterns for costumes based on designer's drawings.
• Schedule costume fittings for actors.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Fine Arts

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Comprehension
• Oral Expression
• Problem Sensitivity
• Near Vision
• Category Flexibility
• Information Ordering
• Speech Clarity
• Fluency of Ideas
• Deductive Reasoning
• Selective Attention

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Attention to Detail
• Dependability
• Cooperation
• Social Orientation
• Adaptability

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Support
• Working Conditions
• Independence
• Achievement

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft Word

Tools & Equipment

• Combination pliers
• Commercial dryers
• Commercial washing machines
• Data input scanners
• Dry cleaning equipment
• Electric irons
• Fabric pressing equipment
• Garment steamers
• Hot glue guns
• Labelmakers
• Laptop computers
• Measuring tapes
• Mobile radios
• Multi tools
• Multipurpose sewing machines

Work Environment

• Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
• Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Contact With Others

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$33,610
Median	$54,810
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$115,240

Workers Employed Nationally: 6,290

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.