Hiring the right costume and wardrobe services is one of the most important aspects of any great movie or stage production. The costumes are what make the characters come to life, and accurate renditions of historic wardrobes are important to lend your film credibility. A costume designer is in charge of creating these costumes but often gets help from other sources.

Many large film companies have their own costume department. This department is responsible for getting the wardrobe that every costume designer requests for the production. Many of these items may come directly from the studio’s stock of costumes, but you might also have to rent costumes from outside companies or have costumes custom made to fit your specific production. The same is true of theaters that regularly put on productions. When looking for costume and wardrobe services, you should:

1. Find film costume services that produce historically correct costumes for your period movie.

2. Locate theater wardrobe supplies and services for your next stage production.

3. Hire a wardrobe service that offers more than just costumes.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get historically correct film company costumes for your next movie

The standards for authenticity are always evolving in the film industry. To give your next film the most credibility possible, you want costumes that accurately reflect the styles of the time period in which the story takes place. Finding companies that tout movie costume services with experience in period pieces make costuming your characters much easier.

I recommend: Heritage Film Services prides itself on providing historically correct costumes that are cost effective, of excellent quality and produced in a timely manner. It can provide not only the costumes but also the props to go with them and can handle large orders quickly. Historical Entertainment offers historically accurate costumes for a variety of time periods, and its full-service wardrobe operation includes designers and stylists, set costumers, and stitchers.

Find a wardrobe service geared especially to stage productions

Many costuming companies specialize in bringing theater productions to life. These companies often have thousands of costumes currently available for rent or sale, and many provide custom costume services for those unique productions.

I recommend: Theatrical Costumes is the theater division of Costumes Galore, a company that specializes in providing costumes for theatrical productions and costuming the characters for hundreds of plays each year. Browse through its list of plays the company has provided costumes for in the past, and you may find your costumes in its collection. An industry leader in theatre costumes, The Costume Gallery boasts quality costumes at a reasonable price with on-site seamstresses and custom costume services available.

Locate wardrobe services for film, television and theater that offer everything in one location

When searching for wardrobe services for movies, TV series or stage productions, look for one that offers more than just a costume off the rack. Good costume services not only have a large selection of premade costumes ready for wear but can also custom design what you need, stock fabrics for unique costumes, and even have research libraries so you can verify the authenticity of a costume designed for a specific era.

I recommend: For more than 80 years, Western Costume Company has supplied costumes for film and television, from western outfits for silent films to futuristic costumes for sci-fi productions. This company has miles of ready-made costumes, a facility that boasts an entire wardrobe support team including fitting rooms, hard-to-find vintage fabrics to choose from, and the world’s largest costume research library. Go with a name you already know and trust by contacting Warner Bros. Studio Facilities. Its Costume Design Center maintains one of the largest collections of costumes and accessories rented worldwide via a digital catalog. On site, visit its special effects and prop shop for added features for your production.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Even if your production has its own wardrobe designer, for period pieces, consult with providers of costume and wardrobe services with experience researching historical fashions right down to the last button.