Ever wondered where costuming in film started? Where did all the costumes come from? Then keep on reading!
Costumes have been considered critical elements of storytelling since the beginning of film in the late 19th and early 20th Century. The costume department has gone from being at the centre stage of the film studio system to the wasteful and environmentally unsustainable industry that we have today.
When film began in the late 19th Century actors provided many costumes for the films themselves. Those who had more extensive wardrobes often received more roles in films than those who had less and dressed more plainly. The point of costume in films was just to make do, and very little thought and money was put into the costumes. For films that needed more ornate or theatrical pieces, costumes were often rented from Broadway theatrical costume rental houses.
American film director D.W. Griffith introduced the practice of using costumes specifically made for films. His 1916 drama Intolerance, is considered to be the first Hollywood film in which costumes were created specifically for each of the characters. Shortly after this, many other film directors followed suit and employed fashion designers to costume their films. This led to an increase in costume, which led to the opening of costume rental houses, some of which still exist today such as Western Costume Company. Costumes and props would be rented from these costume houses, and once filming was completed, they would be returned to storage to be used again for secondary or background characters to maintain an opulent look without the expense of making new pieces. It was rare that a major star would have to wear a costume designed and worn by another star. These garments would be resized, dyed and re-styled as the script demanded to fit other characters of stories.
Costumes became very accessible and inexpensive to borrow over time, and soon the standardised mode of production was loaning costumes from rental houses and even using pieces from an actresses’ own wardrobe. An accumulation of costumes resulted in a return to the same genres of storytelling in film over and over, as the costumes could be reused. A popular genre in film in the early 20th Century was the Western, particularly in Southern California where much of the natural scenery acted as good backdrops to these films.
When the silent era of film came to an end in the late 1920s, costumes had to be altered as suddenly every rustle and clack could be heard and was a distraction from the story. This brought about a change to the way in which costumes were made. There were less frills, ruffles and beads in dresses as a result. World War II brought about a further change in costumes. While the War created opportunity for a new genre and tone in films, it also was a troubling time for costume designers as material and fabric was rationed, meaning that luxury fabrics including satin and velvet were difficult to obtain. Designers had to resort to foraging and searching costume houses for attire that could be reused and recycled, while ensuring the costumes maintained their purpose of aiding the narrative. However, with the lack of these luxury fabrics there was an increase in the use of synthetic materials, which we know today are significant contributors to climate change. This marks the beginning of the switch from using lavish and valuable fabrics to the synthetic and fabricated materials used today in costume departments.
Soon after the war, a new approach to filmmaking occurred, exploring new techniques to storytelling. The film studios also had a sudden financial struggle, diminishing the studios willingness to spend money on costumes and designers. This led to an increase in the purchasing of contemporary costumes from department stores, and the role of the 'costume designer', was now the 'shopper'.
Filmmaking practices are still very much like this today. While period dramas, Westerns, and film Noir, all can source their costumes from rental houses, the increase in contemporary films and particularly television series means that many costumes of the costumes have to be 'trendy' and fashionable, which means buying new from department stores. Trends are constantly changing all the time, and costume designers have to keep up with these trends for the characters they costume.
Comments