One of your primary tasks as Costume designer, will be to create authentic pieces, while staying in budget. This can be hard, especially when working on independent productions, which do not put aside large amounts for Costumes. Helen Beaumont explains how to design costumes on a budget.

Prepare extensively

You can’t afford to waste money experimenting, so prepare extensively before creating anything. For example, if you are researching period costumes, attend exhibitions to learn how historical clothing should look and feel. Hold regular talks with the director to see what they want and measure actors beforehand to get their measurements, so you don’t waste fabric and deplete your budget.

Shop around

It is key that you shop around, so you can find cheap costume items. You might want to look in charity and vintage clothing shops, because you can often find amazing pieces where you least expect. You could also shop online via retailers such as ASOS, or even find bargains on eBay. Also network with other costume designers now so later, they can tell you where to find obscure pieces cheaply.

Rent costumes

Instead of buying costumes, you may be able to rent them, saving money. Many British theatre, TV and film productions, for example, rent pieces from the National Theatre. They supply a range of costumes, from period to contemporary. The National Theatre’s items have been used on productions like Charlotte Gray and Harry Potter, so it’s clear that they provide a quality service for you to use.

Record your expenses

It can be easy to lose sight of your budget, when creating brilliant costumes. It is advisable to maintain a record of your expenses, so you know how much cash you have left. You can create a costume design expenses record easily on Microsoft Excel. In this document, list the costume purchasing/renting, cleaning and repair costs for each character in the production, updating these each day.

Utilise technology

You can now download a range of apps to your smartphone, to help you keep the costs associated with designing costumes down. Available for £1 on Android, Fabric Width Calculator can help you keep fabric usage under control. Meanwhile Sewing Kit, available for $1.99 on iOS, offers tool and notes which help you remember patterns, fabrics and more at a moment’s notice, increasing productivity.

Strike a balance

When working as a costume designer, aim to strike a balance. It is critical that you stay within budget, but that you craft outfits which actors feel comfortable wearing and which audiences see as believable. If you find expensive pieces, see if you can get them cheaper somewhere else, or make imitations with raw materials, so you will stay within budget when developing production costumes.

About Helen Beaumont

Helen Beaumont’s career started at Camberwell College of Art, where she studied the History of Art and Design, specialising in costume during her final year. After completing study, Helen became a costume buyer for theatre and opera. She has since become a professional costume designer, with a keen interest in period clothing. Throughout her career, Helen has created authentic costumes for prestigious companies such as the Universal Studios, Disney, BBC, Tiger Aspect and the Young Vic Theatre.

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