Hey all,

I'm directing Footloose...Our costume designer is relatively inexperienced, and I'm not a great costumer either.  We are setting the show in the 80's...but country 80's- not Cindy Lauper style.  That's pretty easy because thrift stores are covered in this kind of stuff...BUT I don't want our stage to look like a thrift store exploded!  Any suggestion in making the cast look uniform? 

To keep the group visually unified you have to settle on a style of clothing and then keep an eye on the colors....

Put all of the "boys" in similar outfits.....all bluejeans and overalls...no khakis, shorts,or colored pants.  Think that all of the boys in a small town would shop at the same small department store...they would have Levi's jeans and overalls to choose from.....not designer jeans.  Same would go for their shirts.  White round neck T shirts...no colors, no slogans, no tank tops.  When they get dressed up for the dance they would stay in their jeans but switch the tee shirt for  a white dress shirt...again no fancy cuts or colors.  Some of the boys at the dance could wear dress pants.  Some of the kids might wear cowboy boots but most footwear was universal...sneakers....just don't make them too modern.

Don't let the girls go wild.....blue jeans (like the boys) but maybe a blouse or two.  Remember that they are shopping at the same small store.  This was the age of disco and girls actually wore some pretty nice dresses when they went to a dance.  You don't have to stay with cotton "country girl"  dresses....go for some synthetic knits that will "move" with the actors.  Ask the girls to bring some from home (I know they are still hiding in the closet...mine are) and also pick some up at the thrift store.  Throw them all out on the stage and turn the lights on (or throw them all on your bed...I've done that too)...eliminate the brightest, eliminate all black and all white...they are hard to work with on stage, and then get rid of anything that just looks wrong...bright orange, pale lilac that turns to gray, etc.

The grown-ups in the play are actually going to be a little harder.  The men will have to have suits or at least suit pants.  Men's suits in the 1980's went a little nuts.  Some of them stayed very traditional and some went towards the "designer" suit.....small collars, very skinny cut.  Depending on how your director wants to stage this -  pick a type and stick with it.....I personally would put all of the men in grey or dark grey ( no brown, no black) traditional suits.....but keep them all the same style.

Finally...get them dressed early.  I don't believe in waiting until dress rehearsal to get everyone in costume.  I like the cast to rehearse in my costumes.....break them in and make them theirs.  This will give you a chance to see what looks good and what doesn't.

One more item to think about.  The audience needs a visual clue for each character.  It is easy for us to recognize each character because we know them and  know the play very well by opening night.  Remember that the audience will get your characters confused if they all look alike (or if you have too many costume changes).  Give the lead some costume item..like a cowboy hat or a bandana tied around his head (headbands were big in the eighties).

Good luck and don't forget the Static Guard Spray....all of those polyester dresses are going to be up around their ears as soon as they put on stockings and start dancing.