Costumes Don't Just Happen

In our town there is a science museum that has hosted a "Night At The Museum" event for the last several years.  I've helped out and last year was in charge of coordinating costumes.  This year I'm casting the actors as well as handling costume duties.  The premise is that people dress up as various historical figures and characters from science-fiction then spend several hours complete in-character, interacting with the guests as that particular person.  It's a lot of fun, but for me a lot of work since I have to arrange costumes for 28 characters.

Unfortunately some of the actors don't seem to realize that it takes time to make costumes.  I've had to really prod some of these people to confirm whether or not they were getting their costume pieces together.  The event is in about six weeks and we can't wait until the last minute to arrange these things.  While I might be able to throw together a simple outfit in a few hours, it still takes time to get all of the material together and then do the work.

My costuming business has been taking off and I've been getting both local and long-distance commissions.  In fact, I'm completely booked up between now and the beginning of September and have had to turn down a couple of requests that I just don't have time for.  Even so I just had a friend ask if I could squeeze in a couple of more things for her.  I had to say no.  And I'm expecting to get more last-minute requests before Dragon*Con.

I'm one woman with a sewing machine (and some help from my mother), as well as being a mother, wife, home schooling my children, and trying to catch a few hours of sleep here and there.  When making a costume I have to plan it out, but the material and supplies, make sure I have the right patterns, cut out the cloth, sew it together, and add finishing touches.  Depending on the outfit and complexity it can take me anywhere from a few hours to several days to finish a costume.  There is a lot of work involved, especially when I have to juggle that around my other responsibilities.

Major theaters don't start working on their costumes a week or so before the performance.  By the time a Hollywood film starts shooting they've already spent months planning, designing, testing, and making the clothing and outfits.  While I'm not in those categories (yet) it still takes time for any costumer to work.  The theater groups I work with have learned that I'm going to be bugging them to get me measurements and other details weeks before I need them.  And customers need to know that they need to make their orders months in advance so I can get them on the list.

Costumes don't make themselves!

A Costume's Influence

As an actress (Drama minor in college and actively involved in community theater) I have always known how important a costume can be to a role.  You can rehearse and rehearse but you just can't seem to really get the part down until the first time you put on your costume.  Then the character really seems to leap out of you and it's easier to find the inspiration you need to carry the part.

Over the years I expanded into cosplay at conventions like Dragon*Con and ConNooga.  My family and I dress in costumes inspired by or copied from our favorite movies, books, and comic books, such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Firefly.  We have learned that a good costume results in many photos being taken of you, and a good pose really makes the picture better.  Being in costume lets you "feel" the character, and the poses come very naturally.

Now that I make costumes for other people, this principle is coming full-circle.  Since I know how much influence a costume can have for good or bad, I want to provide people with the best one possible.  Let's look at a couple of examples. 

Do you think this guy really felt like Iron Man?  Was he able to fully channel Tony Stark?

Now, take a look at this one (from our own personal photos at Dragon*Con in 2008).  Do you think he felt particularly heroic?

I certainly understand that some people make certain costumes for humorous purposes, deliberately making it look silly or bad.  But you know that those people feel that humor as they wear it and aren't fully portraying the character.  The man in the first photo is going to act differently than the one in the second simply because of the nature of the costume and how it makes him feel.

And don't ask for commission on Iron Man!  I do NOT work in vaccuform!

In 2010 I wore a Snow White costume I had made to Dragon*Con.  I have always dreamed of being a Disney princess, and my moment came true.  One little girl came up, excited to see me.  She said, "Do you remember seeing me at Disney World?"  My heart melted and I ate that up, of course replying that I did indeed remember her.  I know that I could make that costume better now, but it was convincing enough that a girl thought I actually worked at Disney.  I walked on a cloud the rest of the day and truly felt like Snow herself.

  Me and my daughter (also in a dress I made).

How do you think that little girl would have responded if I had been in a costume like this one?

Now please don't misunderstand my intentions.  I am certainly not a "costume snob" and really do appreciate the attempt that many people make.  I love seeing people do their best job at creating a character and realize that not everyone has the money to invest in complicated clothing or the skills to be a professional seamstress.  My point is that a the quality and type of costume you choose significantly influences your portrayal of that character.  If you're going for humor, it's great to have a cheap, silly costume.  But if you really, really want to recreate a specific character, it takes more than acting ability.  Your choice in costumes will make or break the role, no matter where you are doing it.

Adding It All Up

In my short time (so far) doing professional costuming I have come to realize that many people don't understand the true costs of doing this.  I have had people balk at a quote I've given them and try to argue me down.  So I thought I'd give a quick lesson in what it takes to make a costume.

Obviously fabric is the most important and noticeable piece of a costume.  In a job like mine where everything is custom-made, I don't have the luxury of buying cloth in bulk and getting a wholesale discount.  I never know from costume to costume what kind or color of fabric I'll need, so I buy things based on the costume, paying retail price.  Unless you're very lucky fabric will typically cost at least $6 per yard, and can easily go to $15 or higher per yard.  Want something higher quality like velvet?  Expect to pay at least $25 per yard.  Depending on the size of the costume I typically buy anywhere from three to eight yards of fabric, so this averages around $30 for a short coat to $80 for a large dress.

Okay, not too bad so far.  But fabric isn't all that goes into a costume.

Thread normally runs $3 or more per spool and a single costume will typically use one to two of these.  Zippers cost $3 to $7 depending on length and style.  Buttons are a whole 'nother beast!  You can spend $3-4 for just two buttons!  It's not uncommon to have up to 10 buttons on a costume for an average cost of around $35.  Interfacing (used for stiffening collars, the front of coats, and anything else that needs thickness or stability) averages $2 per yard and you may have to buy as much of this as fabric.  Do you want something fancy or stylish on the costume?  Trim runs a large gamut depending on material and complexity, from $2 per roll to $5 per roll.  If you're paying per yard for trim it can easily be $6-7 a yard.  If a garment has to be lined (common in coats, vests, and dresses) you'll spend $6 per yard.

So let's add all of this together for something simple. Maybe I'm making a Civil War uniform.
Cloth (8 yards) @$8/yard = $64
Buttons (16) @$1.5/button = $24
Zipper (1) = $3
Lining (4 yards) @$6/yard = $24
Decorative Trim (2 yards) @$3/yard = $6
Thread (2 spools) @$3/spool = $6
Interfacing (2 yards) @$2/yard = $4

Total Materials = $131

Now keep in mind that this is what I am paying!  This doesn't cover my time making it (at least 10 hours total time), overhead costs (electricity, wear and tear on sewing machine, etc.), and any profit.  If I only charged what it cost me to buy the supplies there would be no reason or ability for me to stay in business.  If I want to be a successful businesswoman I have to charge appropriately.  Which means that the actual cost to the customer for a full Civil War uniform would be $325-375 depending on the detail or if it was an officer's uniform.

Yes, it adds up quickly!  But keep in mind that all of this is for a custom costume made to a customer's specific measurements.  This is tailored work.  Whenever you're working through a personal costumer it's going to cost more than a mass-made costume that is created overseas where labor costs are low and are sewn with lower quality materials. 

But the results are well worth it! A custom costume is certainly worth the expense as it will fit better, look better, and last longer than anything you buy from a store.

There and back again!

One of the biggest questions I get asked is ,when did I start sewing? This is a simple yet complicated answer and to really answer sufficiently, I have to start at the beginning of the story.

My mom is a wonderful seamstress and has sewn since she was in 6th grade.  Back when she was in school they had that as an elective and the took Home Economics every year she could.  While I was growing up, she really did not sew very much, as she was a mother of four and that seemed to take all of her time.  I remember very clearly though, when I started High school that began to change.  The first thing that changed was the fact that my parents started homeschooling the four of us kids. So mom thought that it would be a perfect time to try and teach her daughters how to sew. NOT!!!! I hated it and really did not learn anything, mostly because I thought "I have my mom, why do I need to learn how to sew?"

I never saw the need to learn how to even though my mom has made many wonderful clothes, including my wedding dress(which she says was the hardest thing she has ever done).  It was never an interest to me, because making clothes seemed so boring.

So fast forward to 2005, Dragon Con.  My first ever "geek" convention.   I remember looking at all of the costumes and thought, "wow, I wish I could do something like that". Now,  I had been to the Renaissance Faire and we bought all of our costumes pieces for that, but never in my wildest dream did I imagine that I would be one of those people.  The following year, we piece together simple costumes that were just modifications of regular clothes(Wash and Zoe from Firefly).  We even went so far as to dress our kids up like mini versions as well.  It was fun and I had found a new love. 

The next year rolled around and I knew that I wanted to do more, so we purchased a few more things online. The third year, we began to get creative with our costume ideas, so I went to my mom and asked her to help me make a couple of dresses for Dragon Con.  She agreed (not really sure why), and she helped me (when I say help, she did the work while I told her what I wanted). I "made" my first two costumes. I did the design work and she did the sewing. Fair enough, so I thought.

That year for Christmas they bought me my own sewing machine and pretty much told me I was on my own from that point.  I jumped in head first and started by making Belle's yellow dress.  A large feat for some one who was scared of her sewing machine. I quickly learned not to be afraid to try anything and my seam ripper is my best friend.

So there you go.  I got my first sewing machine in Dec 2008, made my first(completely by myself) costume in Feb 2009, and here I am today.  I still look back and laugh at myself, wishing that I would have learned earlier, but better late than never.  I still think that sewing clothes is boring, but I dabble a bit with that.  My main passion is costumes.  It is so exciting to create something that you have always wanted to wear and could not find easily.  I love the creativity behind it and how I feel when I stand back and look at a job well done.  So if you have ever thought about sewing, give it a try.  You will find it very rewarding (once you get past the initial messing up part).

Juggling Many Balls

I started my costuming business about six months ago and have been learning many lessons about prioritizing and keeping myself sane.  It's not always easy!

First and foremost I'm a mother and a wife.  We home school our two children and my husband works full-time, so I have many daily responsibilities around the house.  Besides trying to keep things relatively clean and getting dinner on the table, I have to supervise the kids and help teach them when they're stuck on their lessons.  Among these things I try to sew at least four hours most days, and sometimes eight or more.  Really, I'm doing three jobs.  I'm a full-time mother, full-time wife, and lately have been putting enough hours in each week in costuming to make that a full-time job also.  And some people in politics have criticized stay-home moms for not "working"?  Let them come and try my job for a week!

Anyway....back to safer subjects than politics.

Currently I am helping a drama teacher at a local private school, making myself available to the parents who want to commission me to make costumes for their children.  So far I have completed four costumes and have six more to finish within the next seven days.

So far I have six commissions to finish by Dragon*Con (Labor Day weekend), two others by October, and a grand total of 12 for my own family.  Yes, the latter is really my own fault since we decided on all-new costume sets for this year's Dragon*Con, as well as clothing for me and my husband by next month for a Gone With The Wind themed barbecue.  That's a lot of personal costumes, but going to these events in outfits I made is some of my best advertising.

So that's six costumes in the next week, two more in the next month, then a whopping 18 over the next four months!  Considering that a simple outfit can be done in four hours but a complex one takes 10-20 hours, I'm looking at somewhere around 250+ hours of sewing between now and October.  This means I'm going to be putting in at least 15-20 hours every week.  While that may not seem like a lot, and is really a part-time job, remember that I also have jobs as a wife, mother, and home-school teacher, as well as being involved with church and local theater.  And somewhere among all of that I would like to have the chances to spend time with my family, go on vacation, and sleep.

Still, I love all of it and wouldn't give it up.  God has given me the chance to take a fun interest and turn it into a business that is quickly growing.  Sewing is actually relaxing and therapeutic to me, and is a nice change of pace from the rest of my duties.

Even so, I often feel like a juggler with too many balls in the air.

Hidden Treasures

Most people might think that a costumer's favorite place is a fabric and hobby store.  Okay, maybe that's a bit true (just ask my husband when he loses me for a couple of hours in Joann Fabrics).  But even better places can be found!

My favorite places to shop are thrift stores, garage sales, flea markets, and antique stores.  You will be amazed as the things you can find!  I've found trim, bolts of cloth, belts, and various other materials to use in my costumes.  And usually they are dirt-cheap!

Since most of my creations are costumes for plays and cosplay, as opposed to regular clothing, I have learned the art of "repurposing".  If you go to a flea market or similar place with an open mind, you'll be amazed at the things you can find and use.  Let's look at a few examples.

This dress was for the Apothecary in our recent production of Romeo and Juliet.  The play had a Pirates theme and this character was modeled after Tia Dalma in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.  The main material for the dress was actually a throw blanket I found at an antique store.  Even though it was made in the mid-1800s (seriously!), the blanket was moth-eaten and frayed so I got a really good price.  For a blanket it wasn't much good, but it had the perfect worn look I was trying for.  The fox head and necklace came from flea markets, and the satchel/pouch from Goodwill.

That's a really nice blue color in the dress, isn't it?  The material started out as curtains I bought at a yard sale.  Look at another example, a Renaissance dress.

The nice satiny embroidered material?  Curtains from a flea market.

I go to Goodwill at least once per week and hit yard sales and flea markets whenever I can.  Many times I don't have anything specific in mind, but am just searching for the "hidden treasures".  Sometimes I'll see something that looks nice, but I don't know what I would use it for.  I may buy it and set it aside for a day when it just might come in handy.  Sometimes a material will start my creative wheels turning, such as when I saw the curtains I used in my Renaissance dress.  And anytime I can get a good deal on fabric or other materials I'll snatch it up.  I love getting bargains, and when the profit margin is low in a small business every little bit helps.  My husband also loves it when I spend less money on the costumes for our own family, yet still make them look great.

So if anyone is looking to do their own costuming, don't stick to the fabric stores.  Look around at non-traditional places for good deals and learn to see beyond the surface into the "what could be".

Artists Aren't Costumers

Doing custom costume work I have quickly discovered that artists don't seem to have much of an eye for practical, real clothing.  I've done some commissions and are working on others for costumes that have never existed in the real world.  This means that I am having to take images from books, comics, or video games and figure out how they would translate into the real world.  And some of these ain't very practical!  Let's look at one recent example.

A new author recently commissioned me to make a costume for him of the main character in his new book.  Here's a picture of the cover, which also happens to be the best picture of the angel, as well the only one in color.

Cool outfit, right?  It works from a character design and is certainly iconic. However, when I started studying it and figuring out how I was going to bring it to life I ran into several problems.  Why does he have armored elbow and knee pads?  How do the straps attach to the armor?  Does the middle flap attach from the belt or it is part of the tunic?  How many layers is he wearing?  How in the heck does he put on all of those layers when he has giant wings?!!?!

It took some doing, but I finally did design something that is as close as possible to the image.

When you're making something that has never been actual cloth and three dimensions, you often have to make decisions and compromises.  What you see in an image may include materials that are hard to find in real life.  Patterns on cloth can also be a big issue, as stores don't make those patterns. Look closely at the material on the uniform tops in the newest Star Trek movie.  There is a subtle badge design woven into the material itself.  You can't go to a fabric store and pick up that material or even order it online; believe me, I've looked!  It's difficult or sometimes impossible to create something that is 100% accurate to what is on the screen or page.

Here's a current commission that I'm in the design stages for, a Jedi shadow from the Knights of the Old Repulic MMORPG.

Again, how many layers is this thing?  Where does the robe drape?  What does the bottom shirt layer look like?  How in the world does that "wrap" go around and stay up?  I have ideas for how I'm going to do this, but it may not be perfectly like the images in the game. 

I really have to wonder if artists put the right amount of thought into designing costumes and clothing for their characters.  I know that their main focus is to have an interesting look.  But I doubt that many of them have given much thought to how such clothing would work in the real world. 

I am starting to have a great appreciation for the Hollywood costume designers who work on superhero movies.