As a dresser, you play a crucial role in ensuring that performers look their best on stage. With the fast-paced nature of backstage, it is important for you to be able to have the tools you might need at a moment’s notice. This is where a well-stocked dresser apron comes in! Your dresser apron equipped with essential tools and supplies to handle wardrobe changes and emergencies with ease. If you’re new to dressing, you may have questions about what to include in your apron and how to organize it for maximum efficiency. In this article, we will provide you with valuable guidance on stocking your dresser apron, along with tips…
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Freshening Costumes with Vodka Spray: A Complete Guide
As a costume designer or wardrobe worker, you know how important it is to keep costumes looking and smelling fresh throughout a production. That’s where vodka spray comes in. This powerful tool is a favorite of industry professionals for its ability to eliminate odors and freshen up fabrics without damaging them. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the benefits of vodka spray for theatre costumes. We will also provide you with some tips and tricks for making the most of this handy tool. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting out in the wardrobe department, this guide will help you keep your costumes smelling their best. So let’s get…
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How to Join IATSE Local 764
So you have decided to head to NYC to pursue your wardrobe career! Congratulations. Now you might be wondering how to join IATSE Local 764. Major cities are some of the best places to work backstage. You can typically expect a safer environment with more worker protection because of the local unions. While working in NYC, you might start to wonder if you should join the Wardrobe Union! The wardrobe union in NYC is Local 764. You will need to register for 764 before/as soon as you start working shifts on a show that is on a 764 contract. You might have some questions about joining the union. We hope…
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Important Wardrobe Paperwork: The Actor/ Scene Breakdown
An Actor/Scene Breakdown is a spreadsheet used to track actors, characters, and costumes throughout a show. To make an effective first draft of this breakdown, you don’t need to know about the actors who are cast or the show’s design. This is why the ASB is a perfect first project when you are trying to familiarize yourself with the script. You can make your first pass at your actor/scene breakdown as you read the script for the first time. We are going to talk through what an actor/scene breakdown is. We will cover why it’s helpful and ways yours might change heading into tech for your next show! If you…
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Popular Backstage Lighting Instruments in Wardrobe
If you are reading this, chances are you either work backstage or want to work backstage. If you do work backstage, you know just how dark it can get in the wings. Without an effective backstage light, it would be almost impossible to find the costumes, let alone actually do your job as a dresser. Personal backstage lighting instruments are a tool of which most dressers have a strong opinion. In addition to personal lights, there are also environmental lights. These are often taken care of by Stage Management or the Electrics Department. However, sometimes, you may need to ask for one in a specific place. All of this is…
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An Introduction to the Garment District (NYC)
In the NYC theatre scene, the Garment District is the place to go for any notions, trims, or fabrics you could need. On Broadway, around 95% of all of the built costumes you see are built using materials found in the Garment District. The District itself and the stores in it have a lot of history, and everyone who has been there more than once has a favorite place to stop. If you are interested in costume making or mending, this is the first place you’ll want to look. Even better, many of the shops here now have an online presence. Now you can order from the Garment District no…
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A Closer Look at the Basic Dress Shirt
This is a continuation of our earlier article about the anatomy of a dress shirt. After all of our research, we felt that we could write an entire article just about the history and fit of dress shirts. This article is less based on wardrobe knowledge, and more in the costume design world. We felt it was relevant and exciting all the same. This post may contain affiliate links. We only recommend products we have tried and tested ourselves. If you use these links to purchase something, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. These links help us cover the running costs of The Wardrobe…
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The Anatomy of a Men’s Dress Shirt
Let’s take a closer look at the anatomy of a men’s dress shirt! A dress shirt is one of the most basic pieces of clothing–one you will probably find to some extent in any show that takes place as early as the Victorian era to the present day. When you break a dress shirt down into pieces, you will find that although the shirts in different periods look different, all of the dress shirts have pretty much the same build, just with different variations in style. We will dive further into different variations of collar, cuff, pocket, fabric, etc in a later article. This post may contain affiliate links. We…
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Guide to Buying the Most Important Tool- Your Own Shoes
We talk about a lot of different tools that are needed to get the job done, but what about the tools needed to get to the job? We at The Wardrobe Guide think the safety and longevity of a Wardrobe Technician are way more important than any single task. Therefore, we think great shoes are the best thing you can invest in at the beginning of your wardrobe career. Here are some tips for when it comes to your work shoes and when to buy new shoes. Why Are Shoes Important? When you work in wardrobe, you spend most of the day on your feet. Whether you are dressing and…
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The Most Efficient Way How to Iron a Dress Shirt
At the beginning of your wardrobe career, you will probably run into a show where you need to iron A LOT of men’s dress shirts FAST. The best way to approach this challenge is to have a system; a way that you iron every shirt using the same basic steps. In my experience, this is the most efficient way to iron a dress shirt. How to Iron a Dress Shirt Clothes really go through a lot of wear and tear during a performance. Especially men’s dress shirts; typically, these pieces get sweaty enough that you will be laundering them at least every other day, if not every day. Why Do…
