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Special Section: Costumes & Masks
Courtesy of David Zinn
Hendrix and the New Romantic fashion of the early 1980s
as influences, but states that his goal is for the costumes to
help humanize the characters and “feature the starving face
of the actor.”
When it comes to Broadway, where shows often have
open-ended runs, costume professionals anticipate the
extra stress of a long performance schedule. Costume
houses construct all pieces, distressed and otherwise,
to be as durable as possible. Certain pieces that have
deceptively delicate silk or sheer exteriors may be completely
backed, or flat-lined, with a sturdy muslin or
synthetic. Other fabrics, linen in particular, are favored
for distressed pieces because they tend to wrinkle very
easily, making the garment look like it has been worn
for some time even when it is freshly built or laundered.
In this way, there is less need for an artificial “breaking
down” of the fabric to convey a distressed look. By painting,
dyeing and heat-setting multiple colors and textures
into fabric in particular, artisans can convey a sense of
extreme age or filth without adding a single hole or
David Zinn’s costume sketch of Madame Defarge
shredding a seam. In general, though the distress process
creates the appearance of age, dirt, stains and even
seemingly natural tears and holes, the techniques are
available to do so without compromising durability.
32 January 2008 • www.stage-directions.com