Costume

Costumes are special clothes.

They show who a person is. Some clothes show where a person comes from. In Bhutan, men wear a robe called a Gho. It has a pouch to hold food.

People also wear costumes to play pretend. Actors use them on a stage. You can dress as a hero or an animal. It is fun to dress up!

Costumes are special clothes. They can show a person's culture.

In Bhutan, people wear national dress. Men wear a robe called a Gho. It is tied at the waist with a band. The front makes a pouch to hold items. Women wear a long dress called a Kira.

Some costumes show a person's job or rank. Actors use them to play a character. These clothes help tell a story on a stage or in a movie.

People also wear costumes for fun. You might see mascots at a game. Children use them to play pretend. They might dress as a pirate or a hero. Some people do cosplay. This is when they dress as a specific character. They often go to big meetings to show their work.

Many holidays use costumes too. People dress up for Halloween or for Purim. It is a way to celebrate and share joy.

Costumes are more than just clothes. They are special ways of dressing that show who a person is. A costume can show a person's culture, their job, or even a time from long ago.

People use them to share their identity with others. Some costumes are worn to show pride in where a person comes from. This is often called a national costume. These outfits help people feel connected to their history and their home.

Making a costume is a very careful job. A person called a costume technician turns a drawing into real clothing. They might use a method called draping. This means they shape the fabric directly on a body form to see how it hangs. Another way is called flat drafting, where they draw patterns on paper first. After the pattern is ready, they cut the fabric and sew the pieces together. This hard work helps a character look exactly right.

Costumes have been around for a very long time. The word itself comes from Italian and French languages. It is also linked to the Latin word "consuetudo," which means custom. In the past, people made all their clothes by hand. By the start of the 20th century, special businesses called costumiers sold fancy clothing. Many of these businesses were run by women. They made things like hats and corsets for women's outfits.

Different places have very unique styles. In Bhutan, men wear a robe called a Gho. It is tied at the waist with a band called a Kera. The front of the Gho makes a pouch to hold things like cell phones. Women in Bhutan wear a long dress called a Kira.

During religious festivals, people use costumes to celebrate. For example, people wear costumes for Halloween or for the Jewish holiday of Purim. In the United States, families spent about $34 on Halloween costumes in 2022. Some people even wear costumes for the Cham dance in places like Tibet or Bhutan.

Costumes also help us enjoy stories and games. Actors wear them on stage or in movies to show a character's personality. They can show if a character is from a certain country or a certain season.

You might also see mascots at a sports game to cheer for a team. Even children use costumes to play pretend as pirates or superheroes. Some people enjoy cosplay, which is a way to dress as a specific character. They often go to big meetings called conventions to show their amazing work.

Costume refers to the distinctive style of dress or makeup used by an individual or group. It serves as a visual reflection of culture, including class, gender, occupation, ethnicity, or nationality. While the term was once used for any appropriate clothing, such as swimming or evening wear, its meaning has become more specific. Today, it often describes unusual, out-of-date, or theatrical clothing intended to change a person's identity.

This includes attire for Halloween, mascots, or stage performances.

The creation of a costume is a technical process involving several specialized roles. A costume designer first envisions the concept and overall appearance for a character. A costume technician then translates the designer's two-dimensional sketch into a physical garment. To create patterns, technicians use two main methods: draping and flat drafting. Draping is the art of manipulating fabric directly on a body form to see how it reacts to gravity. Flat drafting involves drawing patterns onto paper based on specific measurements.

Once the pattern is finished, the pieces are cut from fabric and sewn together.

There are many different types of costume usage across the globe. National or regional costumes express a local identity and often serve as a source of national pride. For example, the Scottish kilt and the Japanese kimono are well-known examples. In Bhutan, traditional dress is prescribed for both the people and the monarchy. Men wear a knee-length robe called a Gho, which is fastened at the waist with a Kera. This garment features a front pouch that once held food or daggers but now holds items like cell phones.

Women in Bhutan wear a three-piece outfit consisting of a long Kira, a Tego jacket, and a Wonju inner jacket.

History shows how costume traditions have evolved over centuries. The word "costume" has roots in the Italian language and passed through French. It can be traced back to the Latin word "consuetudo," which means custom or usage. Before ready-to-wear clothing was common, all garments were made by hand. By the early 20th century, professional costumiers often ran businesses to meet the demand for complex female attire. These businesses frequently specialized in millinery, which is hatmaking, and corsetry.

Costumes also play a vital role in religious festivals and holidays. Halloween costumes have roots in the pre-Christian Celtic festival of Samhain. During Samhain, people wore disguises to avoid evil spirits during the harvest. In the modern era, Halloween has become a major secular tradition in the United States. In 2022, American households spent an average of $100 on Halloween preparations, with $34 specifically for costumes.

Other traditions include the Jewish holiday of Purim, where people dress up to celebrate a change in destiny. In Buddhist regions like Tibet and Bhutan, the Cham dance uses masks and costumes as part of religious performance.

In the world of entertainment, theatrical costumes help actors portray characters and their specific contexts. These garments communicate information about a historical era, a geographic location, or even the current season. Some styles, like the Harlequin in Commedia dell'arte, use exaggeration to define a character. Beyond the stage, costumes appear in parades, such as the historical costume parades in Vienna. They are also used by mascots to represent businesses or sports teams. Even figure skaters wear specialized costumes during their performances.

Finally, costume serves as a medium for personal expression and subcultures. Cosplay, which is short for "costume play," is a performance art where participants represent specific, named characters. This often involves highly detailed, homemade costumes that are judged on how well they imitate the subject. In the furry fandom, individuals wear animal costumes known as fursuits to match a specific "fursona."

For children, costumes provide a way to explore different roles, from superheroes to professional uniforms like those of nurses or firefighters.