Costume Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. In costume design, what does a garment’s silhouette describe?
The method used to dye its fabric
Its overall shape and outline as seen on the body
The list of notions needed to construct it
The written history of who previously wore it
2. Which design material best communicates both the intended appearance of a costume and the texture of its proposed fabric?
A cast list with actors’ measurements
A rack label naming the character and scene
A costume rendering accompanied by a fabric swatch
A sewing pattern without fabric samples
3. A dancer needs to lift and extend their legs freely in fitted trousers. Which feature can add mobility where seams meet at the crotch?
A shoulder pad
A lapel facing
A gusset
A sleeve placket
4. A designer chooses a blue fabric, but it appears almost black during the first lighting rehearsal. What is the best next step before replacing it?
Evaluate it under the production’s planned lighting and coordinate possible adjustments
Add more seam allowance so the color has room to reflect
Judge the fabric only under daylight outside the theatre
Wash it repeatedly until it becomes lighter
5. A stretch leotard fabric expands much more across its width than along its length. How should that property usually be used when cutting the garment?
Place the greatest stretch around the body where expansion is needed
Rotate every pattern piece in a different direction
Place the least stretchy direction around the torso
Ignore the stretch direction if the fabric has a smooth surface
6. A film scene requires a character’s coat to be identically muddy across several days of shooting. Which plan best supports continuity?
Wash the coat fully after each day and recreate the mud from memory
Let each performer decide how much mud looks appropriate
Photograph the placement and prepare matching treated duplicates when possible
Use a different coat each day without recording the treatment
7. What is the primary purpose of a costume plot for a production?
To map the actors’ stage movements during dialogue
To diagram the theatre’s lighting circuits
To record only the retail price of every fabric
To track which costumes each character wears in each scene
8. Which costume specialist traditionally makes, trims, or alters hats and other structured headwear?
A dyer
A draper
A cobbler
A milliner
9. During rehearsal, an actor repeatedly catches a shoe on a floor-length hem. What is the most appropriate first costume response?
Steam the garment so the fabric hangs more evenly
Shorten or securely adjust the hem, then test the movement again
Give the actor shoes with a larger size
Distress the hem so any resulting damage looks intentional
10. What does “distressing” a costume mean?
Treating it to create controlled signs of age, wear, dirt, or damage
Reducing its pattern to fit a smaller performer
Removing all temporary stitching after a fitting
Changing its color under stage lighting
11. An actor plays two roles and changes costumes in a backstage corridor between consecutive scenes. Which document would be most useful for planning the sequence, location, and dresser assistance?
A fabric inventory
A quick-change plot
A character biography
A ticket-sales report
12. A wardrobe worker must clean an unfamiliar beaded costume with uncertain fiber content. What should happen first?
Check available care records and test the chosen method discreetly
Place it in a hot machine wash to test its durability
Soak the entire garment until the beads loosen
Press the beads directly with a high-temperature iron
13. Two ensemble characters wear costumes with nearly identical cuts. If they must be distinguishable from the back of a large theatre, what change would be most effective?
Use different hand-sewing techniques inside each garment
Use slightly different seam allowances
Attach different care labels beneath their collars
Give them strongly contrasting colors or large-scale patterns
14. A performer has only seconds to change from a buttoned jacket into another look. Which construction choice would most directly speed up the change?
Adding a heavier lining to the jacket
Replacing the functional buttons with concealed snaps
Cutting the jacket on the bias
Reinforcing every seam with decorative topstitching
15. Before a performer uses a full-head mask, which check is most important?
Confirm that its exterior matches the rehearsal-room walls
Make sure it is heavier than the rest of the costume
Verify that it cannot be removed without tools
Test secure fit, vision, breathing, movement, and safe removal
16. A production aims for a visually accurate 1890s appearance. Which clearly visible feature would most disrupt that period impression?
A high shirt collar
A shaped waistcoat
A modern plastic zipper
A wool outer garment