wardrobe mistress
Definition
- Noun:
- A female person responsible for the costumes in a theatre, film, or television production: "wardrobe mistress" refers to a woman who manages, maintains, and organizes the clothing worn by actors during a performance or shoot. This includes ensuring costumes are clean, repaired, and available for each scene.
Usage Examples
- (She inspected all clothing items for the performance.)
- (Her job involves caring for the costumes.)
Advanced Usage
"to work as a wardrobe mistress": to hold the job of managing costumes in a production.
- She has worked as a wardrobe mistress for several Broadway shows. (She has been responsible for costumes in multiple major theatre productions.)
"the wardrobe mistress's assistant": a helper who aids in costume management.
- The wardrobe mistress's assistant helped with quick changes during the play. (The helper supported the costume manager during rapid outfit changes.)
Variants and Related Words
Wardrobe master (n): the male equivalent of a wardrobe mistress.
- The wardrobe master was responsible for the historical costumes in the film. (The male costume manager handled period clothing.)
Wardrobe (n): a collection of clothes or the room where costumes are stored.
- The wardrobe was filled with elegant gowns and suits. (The costume storage area had many items.)
Synonyms
- Costume supervisor: a person who oversees all aspects of costumes in a production.
- Dresser: a person who helps actors put on and remove costumes, often a subordinate to the wardrobe mistress.
Related Idioms
To be in someone's wardrobe: to be under the care of the wardrobe mistress (informal).
- All the actors are in the wardrobe mistress's care before the show. (They rely on her for their costumes.)
Wardrobe malfunction: an accidental exposure of clothing, often during a performance.
- The wardrobe mistress prevented a wardrobe malfunction by fixing a loose button. (She avoided an embarrassing clothing problem.)