fig2_1
FIGURE 2.1 1960’s Pierre Cardin. Hand and machine stitched and appliqué. (Victoria and Albert Museum.)

CHAPTER 2

IDENTIFYING CHARACTER THROUGH CLOTHING

Melissa L. Merz

If communication is about sending messages between a giver and a receiver, then costumes are a means of communication. The wearer sends an intended message depending on what they are wearing. People choose what to wear based on the image they wish to portray, the activity in which they are involved, how they feel, or even whom they think they may meet. A piece of advice handed down for generations of daughters is to wear lipstick every time they leave the house; after all, ...

Get The Art and Practice of Costume Design now with the O’Reilly learning platform.

O’Reilly members experience books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.