About Us
Currently, in the theatre industry, there are no classes or textbooks to teach people about wardrobe technology or supervision. Historically, someone interested in the field has had to gain a majority of their knowledge by trial and error. This is can be difficult when there isn’t anyone on a specific production with extensive experience. The lack of information also can open wardrobe professionals up to abuse. We at The Wardrobe Guide would like to change that.
What is A Wardrobe Technician?
There are many different kinds of Wardrobe Technicians (which we will cover more in-depth in The Wardrobe Guide). In a nutshell, a Wardrobe Technician is a person who works in the entertainment industry in a behind-the-scenes capacity. They may dress actors, maintain costumes, or organize costume departments.
“A dresser is a theatrical stagehand who is involved with maintaining costume quality at each performance. They are hired by either the producer or wardrobe supervisor [and] report directly to the wardrobe supervisor.”
— Dresser (theatre). (2022, January 1). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresser_(theatre)
Our Mission
The Wardrobe Guide was born from a need to make information about Wardrobe Technology more accessible. Especially for people at the beginning of their wardrobe career. Our site is meant to provide wardrobe technicians everywhere with the kind of industry insight that other career paths may find in their college textbooks.
At The Wardrobe Guide, we believe that Wardrobe Labor is skilled labor.
There’s over a decade of experience represented on TWG. We intend to create a space where people can find the information they need to get their show up and running. We want to share everything- from the basics to industry secrets, protips to unspoken rules. The Wardrobe Guide is intended to be a living document. The Guide will be ever-changing as we add information, or possibly thoughts or opinions from different professionals in the field.
The Wardrobe Guide is based mainly in NYC. Most of our experience comes from Broadway, Off-Broadway, or Regional theatre. However, we are also very interested in the Theatre industry around the country. We want to be a reference for wardrobe professionals around the country.
Our Process
For industry veterans, you might find some of the articles on the site to be basic. This is by design! We want The Wardrobe Guide to be a place for everyone. We want to cover it all; whether you want to know how to sew on a button, or are looking for the best website to buy various shades of spandex.
Disclaimer
While we hope to be a helpful resource, a tricky aspect of creating a guide like this is that (and if you are a wardrobe professional, you know) there are approximately 50 different ways to do everything. Because of this, not every way might work for your exact situation, but we hope the guide will at least supply the rudimentary building blocks needed. Maybe even just to inform you how others may have approached a similar situation in the past. (If you are in a regional or educational environment, always consult your educator or shop manager before moving forward with a specific idea or fix.)
Reach Out
If you have an idea for an opinion piece, or if there is a subject you’d like us to cover, please Contact us! We would love to hear from you.
