The wardrobe supervisor is responsible for overseeing all wardrobe related activities during the course of a

theatrical Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communic ...

run or film shoot. The modern title "wardrobe supervisor" has evolved from the more traditional titles of "wardrobe mistress/master" or "mistress/master of the

wardrobe A wardrobe, also called armoire or almirah, is a standing closet used for storing clothes. The earliest wardrobe was a chest, and it was not until some degree of luxury was attained in regal palaces and the castles of powerful nobles that sep ...

". The wardrobe supervisor may be present at some

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

meetings and fittings, their primary responsibilities generally begin at the load-in stage of a production and during prep of a film. At load-in physical custody and responsibility for the

costume Costume is the distinctive style of dress and/or makeup of an individual or group that reflects class, gender, occupation, ethnicity, nationality, activity or epoch—in short, culture. The term also was traditionally used to describe typica ...

s shifts from the

costume designer A costume designer is a person who designs costumes for a film, stage production or television show. The role of the costume designer is to create the characters' outfits or costumes and balance the scenes with texture and colour, etc. The costum ...

and shop staff to the wardrobe supervisor. The wardrobe supervisor supervises all dressers and costumers working on a production. In consultation with the production manager,

stage manager Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including overseeing of the rehearsal proce ...

, costume designer, and sometimes the

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

, the wardrobe supervisor helps to coordinate and assign dressers to specific performers and tasks. They help determine where and how costume changes are made. Generally, the wardrobe supervisor decides whether a point in a production requires a quick change

backstage Backstage may refer to: * Backstage (theatre), the areas of a theatre that are not part of the house or stage Film and television * ''Back Stage'' (1917 film), a silent film starring Oliver Hardy * ''Back Stage'' (1919 film), a silent film starri ...

, or if there is time for a normal change in the dressing room. All dressers report directly to the wardrobe supervisor, who acts as primary liaison between dressers, the costumer, and stage management.

Duties

The wardrobe supervisor's primary responsibilities include: * The care and proper maintenance of all

s, shoes,

undergarments Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled ...

, hats and costume related personal props such as gloves, jewelry,

parasols An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy (building), canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionall ...

, fans and pocket books. * To ensure the proper labeling, hanging, storage and preset of all costume pieces. * To create and execute a proper cleaning schedule for all garments, ensuring that

laundry Laundry is the washing of clothing and other textiles, and, more broadly, their drying and ironing as well. Laundry has been part of history since humans began to wear clothes, so the methods by which different cultures have dealt with this u ...

and

dry cleaning Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a solvent other than water. Clothes are instead soaked in a water-free liquid solvent (usually non-polar, as opposed to water which is a Solvent#Solvent classifications, polar ...

are done on a regular basis between performances. They also coordinate the regular changing of

dress shields Underarm liners are an alternative to antiperspirants. The liners are applied directly to clothing. They contain absorbent material that wicks away moisture from sweat, keeping the axilla dry. Underarm liners were used more commonly before chemical ...

, the application of garment freshening sprays and providing clean undergarments to the performers. * To ensure that all costumes are properly pressed or steamed prior to each performance. *The wardrobe supervisor also regularly inventories and inspects all costumes and coordinates all costume repairs. The majority of minor costume repairs are done on site at the theatre by either the Wardrobe Supervisor or in the cases of many regional theatres, the onsite wardrobe maintenance crew which is connected to the in house costume shop. Most repairs are considered "emergencies", however, and whenever possible they are done onsite at the theatre before and sometimes during the actual performance. The wardrobe supervisor's space in the theatre, with few exceptions, contains a

sewing machine Diagram of a modern sewing machine Animation of a modern sewing machine as it stitches A sewing machine is a machine used to sew fabric and materials together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolutio ...

glue gun Hot-melt adhesive (HMA), also known as hot glue, is a form of thermoplastic adhesive that is commonly sold as solid cylindrical sticks of various diameters designed to be applied using a hot glue gun. The gun uses a continuous-duty heating elem ...

, and all sewing supplies necessary for any type of emergency repair that could be required. Most wardrobe supervisors are very qualified

seamstress A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician. Notable d ...

es in their own right. The rule of thumb is that only in the case of very significant damage is a costume sent back to the shop for repair. The one exception to this rule are shoes. Although most supervisor's maintain a regular schedule for polishing and re-spraying of shoes, for safety reasons, actual shoe repair work is always sent out. *At the end of a production run, the wardrobe supervisor oversees all aspects of the costume strike. In the case of rented costumes, they coordinate restoring costumes to original condition. This includes ripping out hems or alterations that may have been done for fitting, and removing any added trim or ornamentation. Sometimes this work is extensive enough that the costumes are returned to either the designer's or theatre's shop for laundering and restoration. Regardless, the wardrobe supervisor is responsible for providing a complete and accurate inventory that ensures all pieces are returned. A good wardrobe supervisor ensures that costumes look as fresh and new for the last performance as they did on opening night.

References

J. Michael Gillette ''Theatrical Design & Production'' Mayfield Publishing Company, Mountainview CA, 1992 {{Running crew Stage crew Theatrical occupations Costume design Television terminology Mass media occupations