Costume designers put in long hours at painstaking detail work. It is a demanding profession that requires flexible, artistic, and practical workers. The schedule can be erratic—a busy period followed by weeks of little or no work. Though costumes are often a crucial part of a production's success, unless the work is for a movie, designers usually get little recognition compared to the actors and director.
Designers meet a variety of interesting and gifted people. Every play, film, or concert is different and every production situation is unique, so there is rarely a steady routine. Costume designers must play many roles: artist, sewer, researcher, buyer, manager, and negotiator.
- Actors
- Animators
- Apparel Industry Workers
- Architects
- Art Directors
- Artist and Repertoire Workers
- Artists
- Audio Recording Engineers
- Automotive Designers
- Broadcast Engineers
- Buyers
- Camera Operators
- Choreographers
- Cinematographers and Directors of Photography
- Circus Performers
- Clowns
- Color Analysts
- Comedians
- Composers and Arrangers
- Computer and Video Game Designers
- Computer-Aided Design Drafters and Technicians
- Cosmeticians
- Cosmetics Sales Representatives
- Cosmetics Shop Owners and Managers
- Cosmetologists
- Dance Instructors
- Dance School Owners and Managers
- Dancers
- Digital Designers
- Drafters
- Ergonomists
- Ethical Sourcing Officer
- Exhibit Designers
- Fabric Designers
- Fashion Coordinators
- Fashion Designers
- Fashion Illustrators
- Fashion Models' Agents
- Fashion Photographers
- Fashion Stylists
- Fashion Writers and Editors
- Film and Television Directors
- Film and Television Editors
- Film and Television Extras
- Film and Television Producers
- Film and Video Librarians
- Foreign Correspondents
- Furniture Designers
- Graphic Designers
- Graphics Programmers
- Greeting Card Designers and Writers
- Home Stagers
- Image Consultants
- Industrial Designers
- Interior Designers and Decorators
- Jewelers and Jewelry Repairers
- Landscape Architects
- Learning Innovations Designers
- Lighting Technicians
- Magicians
- Makeup Artists
- Models
- Motion Graphics Artists
- Music Conductors and Directors
- Music Venue Owners and Managers
- Music Video Directors and Producers
- Music Video Editors
- Musicians
- Nail Technicians
- News Anchors
- Non-Fungible Token Artists
- Photographers
- Playwrights
- Political Reporters
- Pop/Rock Musicians
- Product Designers
- Product Development Directors
- Product Management Directors
- Product Managers
- Production Assistants
- Production Designers and Art Directors
- Radio and Television Announcers
- Radio and Television Program Directors
- Real-Time Captioners
- Remote Health Care Engineers
- Screenwriters
- Show Runners
- Silverware Artisans and Workers
- Singers
- Smart Building Systems Designers
- Software Designers
- Songwriters
- Special and Visual Effects Technicians
- Sports Broadcasters and Announcers
- Stage Directors
- Stage Managers
- Stage Production Workers
- Stunt Performers
- Swimming Pool Designers
- Tailors and Dressmakers
- Talent Agents and Scouts
- Tattoo Artists
- Textile Manufacturing Workers
- Theater Managers
- Visual Interaction Designers
- Writers