CHRISTIANNE BAKEWELL COSTUME DESIGN
  • Portfolio
    • Design
    • Construction
    • Sketches
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog

Top 3 things to stop saying to your costumer friend

10/14/2013

0 Comments

 
When people find out I am a costume technician for a living I get a lot of "Oh that sounds like fun." or "That has to be fascinating!" I smile nod and try to continue the conversation without the other person fainting from excitement. Then there are times when I hear, "So, can you make my wedding dress then?" It is at that moment I reconsider the relationship that person and I currently share. To keep you on good terms with your costumer friend, here are my top three things to stop saying to a costumer (in no particular order).  
1. "You must make your own clothes."
No, after sewing all day not all costume technicians go home and whip up a closet full of clothes out of their old curtains. A chef sometimes just wants some fast food. A costumer sometimes wants an of the rack dress. 

2. "Can you help me with my costume?"
Whether it's Halloween, Comicon, or a Wedding we will not "help" you with a costume project. The reasoning is that "help" normally means "do all of the work for me for free". We get paid to do this as our day job. You would not ask a carpenter to "help" you build a house while you sit on a sun chair sipping lemonade. We will build a costume for you if you hire us and compensate us accordingly. (If I was numbering these in order of frequency and annoyance, this would be #1.)

3. "I thought you might like my extra scrap fabric/old clothes."
Scrap fabric indicates that this fabric is not large enough to make anything except a Crazy Quilt. We have no need for tiny swatches of trim that couldn't be used on a doll's pillow. We will only accept donations for our stocks if the clothing is washed, well taken care of, and if we do not have ten items identical already on our racks. Let us know exactly what you're donating. Send pictures. Now buttons are another story. As long as they are in one piece we will take your buttons!
These are just the top three things I and many of my colleagues have been asked. 

Please, the next time you see your costuming friend, hug them and ask them if they want to go to the zoo. It will be a nice change. 

Question of the Post

Did you catch the movie reference in #1?

What is something you wish people would stop saying to you when they find out your career? 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Topics

    All
    Collaboration
    Curious Fashion History
    Graduate School
    History's Halloween Costumes
    Planet Friendly Costuming
    Sample Pack Makeup History
    Theatre News/History
    Thoughts
    Wigs

    Archives

    July 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Portfolio
    • Design
    • Construction
    • Sketches
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog