How to Design a Custom Dance Costume: What's a Prototype or Sample Garment? (2024)

Posted by Meagan on Nov 17, 2017

How to Design a Custom Dance Costume: What's a Prototype or Sample Garment? (1)

If you've been following along our How To Design A Custom Dance Costume series, we've previously covered finding inspiration, design consultations, and fabric choices. Up next in the process is the prototype!

A prototype, or sample garment, is the best way to ensure your team's final group orderturns out how you you'd like.

Your costume company loves prototypes becausethey need to figure out how to pattern and construct your custom costume. And you'll love the prototype becauseyou can make sure your custom costumes look and feel great before proceedingwith the full order!

We answer some common questions about dance costume prototypes below:

What is a prototype?

A prototypeis a sample garment of your custom group order, and it is created to ensure you love everything about your new look. Custom garments are completely unique, so your costume company will need to test the pattern and design before you both invest more money and time in a group order.

You'll want to make sure you get a prototype made if you're creating a custom design. This includes designing a dance costume from scratch, as well as taking a style you like and modifying it, like adding a skirt to a leotard.

For many companies where customization isn't an option, a sample garment of a specific stock style is another option. This is also a great way to see if you like a costume before purchasing it!

Why do I need a prototype?

A prototype/sample garment is the best way to ensure that your group order will look and fit the way you want!It is your tool for checking fit, design and overall performance of the garment before your entire order is created.

Prototypes are also used as a sew sample tool by your costume company. The production team will use it as a guide to ensure all of your costumes are created the same way.

What do I do with a prototype?

Here's what to do with your prototype to ensure you're getting the most out of it:

  • Try the garment onas many team members as possibleto make sure the fit is consistent for each dancer. Make sure to try it on with the tights, shoes, and accessories you'll be using for your performance as well!
  • Be sure to move in it!Perform your choreography and move in your costume. Have team members dance in the garment and perform turns, leaps, floor work or kicks.
  • Note desired changes, if any, to the garment. If the skirt feels too short when you move in it, now is the time to note the changes you'd like to be made. Taking pictures is a great way to show your costume company any concerns!
  • Ship the sample back.Many companies use the sample garment as a guide for sewing the rest of the costumes.

Wondering what specific things you should check? Check out thissample proto checklist- it's a comprehensive list of all the things you should pay attention to with your sample garment!

How to Design a Custom Dance Costume: What's a Prototype or Sample Garment? (2)

How much does it cost?

It depends on the company, but at The Line Up a prototype is the full price of your garment. Some companies charge a flat fee of $200 or more. It's important to note that you can recover the cost of your proto if minimal changes are made and you are able to use it in your final order!

How long does it take to create my proto?

Time frames vary depending on the complexity of your garment and the time of year, but for most companies, prototypes are created in2-4 weeks.

What if I make changes to my prototype?

If you are creating a custom design, more likely than not you may have a few tweaks to your custom dance costume. That's okay and to be expected!

If changes are minimal, the prototype can often be altered or used with the final order.But if changes are more significant, you will have to make a second prototype, which will add to your time frameas well as costs.

For example, fit changes are easy to address, but changes to style lines or fabrics are more significant and would require a second prototype.

Our best advice is this: make sure your design, concept, and choreography is solidified before you create a proto! This is to save yourself time, money, and avoid redesigns!

How to Design a Custom Dance Costume: What's a Prototype or Sample Garment? (3)How to Design a Custom Dance Costume: What's a Prototype or Sample Garment? (4)

So there you have it - a prototype is a little investment in time and money up front, that will ensure your custom costume WORKS for both you and your costume maker. And because custom costumes are often non-returnable, this up-front investment will pay off in the end once the larger investment in a group order is made. We highly recommendit!

For more information about the prototype process at The Line Up, check out our Prototype information page, or contact your Account Manager!

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How to Design a Custom Dance Costume: What's a Prototype or Sample Garment? (5)

Topics: Behind the Design, Costume Design Resources, How to Design a Custom Dance Costume

How to Design a Custom Dance Costume: What's a Prototype or Sample Garment? (2024)

FAQs

What is prototype garment? ›

What is a prototype? A prototype is a sample garment of your custom group order, and it is created to ensure you love everything about your new look. Custom garments are completely unique, so your costume company will need to test the pattern and design before you both invest more money and time in a group order.

What are some of the things a costume designer must think about or consider when designing a costume? ›

Factors that a costume designer considers when composing the costuming of the entire cast might include putting the leading characters in more noticable clothing, working within a restricted color pallette, or demonstrating relationships among characters through silhouette or color so that some look good and some silly ...

What do you need to be a costume designer? ›

Costume designers, who tend to have at least a bachelor's degree and at most a master's in costuming, usually get their start as costume makers. They might begin by working on college or community productions or interning for university costume departments. From there, they progress to become assistant designers.

Who is responsible for creating the patterns used to make costumes in a theatrical production? ›

A costume designer is the individual in charge of designing the clothing elements worn by actors in a film or stage production.

What is the difference between a prototype and sample? ›

Prototypes bring form, fit, and possibly function to life. Samples are both physical and visual representations of a packaging concept. Unlike prototypes, samples are produced on actual packaging manufacturing lines and utilize the materials in a production setting.

What is prototype and example? ›

A prototype is a preliminary or first model of something, such as a machine. Other forms are copied or developed from the prototype. In the research and development department of a company that makes, for example, flying machines, the prototype is the one that the aeronautical engineers develop and experiment on.

What are the 4 major elements of costume design? ›

ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
  • Line.
  • Shape.
  • Mass.
  • Color.
  • Texture.

What are the four categories of costume design? ›

Four types of costumes are used in theatrical design: historical, fantastical, dance, and modern.

What are the basic principles of costume design? ›

The principles of design consist of: balance, proportion (also referred to as scale), emphasis, and rhythm. When a garment or ensemble uses the elements and principles of design to create a visual unity, harmony is achieved.

What are 4 responsibilities of a costume designer? ›

Day-to-day tasks
  • study the script to understand costume requirements.
  • discuss ideas with the director, make-up artist and set designers.
  • research costume styles and fabrics.
  • sketch designs and create the costumes.

What 3 categories do costume designers fall into? ›

Professional costume designers generally fall into three types: freelance, residential, and academic. Freelance designers are hired for a specific production by a film, theatre, dance or opera company.

How do you become a dance costume designer? ›

Usually, it takes years of studying to earn a bachelor's degree in costume design, and gain experience in the field, build a portfolio of your work, develop your technical skills, including sewing, pattern making, and draping.

What is the process of costume design? ›

To create costumes, a costume designer goes through a collaborative process that results in sketches and then finished drawings. He or she might also create a costume plot, a chart that traces where each character in costume is during each part of the performance.

What is the role of a costume designer in dance? ›

You'll create the design ideas and work with a team to bring them to life. You may also assist with maintaining or restoring sets from productions. Costume designers are in charge of designing, making and often maintaining (sometimes restoring) costumes for performances.

What is a costume plot? ›

The costume plot is a list or chart that shows which characters appear in each scene, what they are wearing and their overall movement throughout the play. This helps track the specific costume needs of every character. It can also identify any potential costume challenges, such as very quick changes between scenes.

What does prototype mean in textiles? ›

What is Textile Prototyping? Textile prototyping is the process of bringing a concept or idea for any sewing or fabric-based need to life so that an end product can be brought to market. All products start at the 'idea' phase - we help take that idea and make it tangible.

Is prototype a replica? ›

Prototypes are a close replica of what the end result of a product will look like, usually without code. They incorporate most of the final UI design and interaction that the finished product will have.

What is the definition of a prototype? ›

A prototype is an early version of a product from which future versions are developed. Engineers and product developers often create these test versions of a new product, service or device before releasing it. Prototypes aren't the final product or service.

What is considered a prototype? ›

A prototype is a draft version of a product that allows you to explore your ideas and show the intention behind a feature or the overall design concept to users before investing time and money into development.

How to create a prototype example? ›

How to Make a Prototype in 6 Steps
  1. Start With a Product Vision. First comes the idea. ...
  2. Create a Sketch or Use Computer Aided Design (CAD) Now that you have the idea, you need to get it down on paper. ...
  3. Make a Proof of Concept. ...
  4. Make a Physical Product Prototype. ...
  5. Test the Prototype. ...
  6. Create a Production-Ready Prototype.
Jan 3, 2023

What are the four types of prototype? ›

The 4 types of project prototyping are feasibility prototypes, low-fidelity user prototypes, high-fidelity user prototypes and live-data prototypes.

What is an example of prototype in design? ›

Simple sketches or storyboards used to illustrate a proposed experiential solution, rough paper prototypes of digital interfaces, and even role-playing to act out a service offering an idea are examples of prototypes.

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