Have you thought about becoming a costume designer? Are you a creative person and have a passion for theater? Do you have a sense of fashion and want to get paid doing what you love to do?
Then absolutely becoming a Costume Designer is something you should consider. A degree is not necessary but is beneficial to acquire the knowledge and skill needed to work in the field.


We will look at the type of subjects you would need to take to get a Bachelors In Fine Arts in Costume Design.

A University would require classes in these areas:
Written Communication: Composition
Written Communication: Critical Thinking
Written Communication: Context and Style
Art Historical Awareness: Western Art
Art Historical Awareness: Surveys
Historical Awareness
Quantitative Literacy
Cultural Ideas and Influences
Employment Communications and Practices

Within these subject areas you will find individual classes that closely relate to the fashion industry.
Classes such as:
Introduction to Costume Design: Learn the processes a costume designer must take to bring a creation from a play to life.
Fashion Sewing Techniques: Sewing techniques
Applied Textiles: Silk screening and heat transfer printing
Construction Courses: Flat pattern drafting and draping
Millinery: Hat construction
Historical Awareness: History
Digital Manipulation Classes: Photoshop, InDesign, and Lightroom
Styling: Concepts and assembly of outfits for photo shoots
Editorial Style Hair and Makeup: Hair styling and makeup for photo shoots
Designing for Film, TV, Theater
Composition: Writing Classes
Drawing: Learn to draw for costume design renderings.
Written Communication: Writing Classes
Career Classes: How to apply yourself to the field you want to be in
Jewelry and Metal Arts: Create fine metal arts objects and jewelry.

The workload should take a full-time student 4 year to complete and there is the option to take online courses.
For a creative person who has visions of elaborate costumes, most of these classes will enthrall you. For the classes you don’t like you will press through to get to the good ones. In the mean time you should consider your local union. They have a wardrobe department they use for the shows that come through. The pay is good, you will pick up much needed hands on skills and you will start making connections within the industry. If you are lucky your town or city will have Broadway shows that come through. In addition to this take into consideration your local schools and make costumes for them. You may find student or University-produced plays. This can be a jumping off point to start building your portfolio.