WARDWOBE FOR KIDS

I feel that for kids to look real that their clothes should be faded, not color coordinated and not fit perfectly. Maybe a little princess is an exception. A little boy with perfect hair has to be a model and not real.

1. I like pastel colors. Faded clothes are best. Many modern fabrics will not bleach overnight or at all. Cottons will bleach. Moms will bring only the kids' best stuff unless you insist on his old stuff or maybe some of his brother's stuff.

2. Watch for the shoes. New shoes stick out like a sore thumb. Notice the Western Costume label on the boots of Wyett Erp in "Butch Cassidy"

3. Costumes are tricky. Make sure they are believable. Things can look great from one angle and not read from another. A partial outfit can be better than a complete one. Not enough can be weird also. A homemade look is often best. Maybe a store-bought item can be completed with homemade items.

4. Show the director the outfit before the kid is ready to go on. Things change no matter what was decided on during wardrobe sessions.

5. Have some wild-card back-ups to save the day.

6. I feel that there are hundreds of correct wardrobe possibilities that will work. There are also things that are wrong for a situation. Often a slight adjustment will save an outfit. Sometimes a hair problem is all that needs fixing. Sometimes pulling out a shirt, unbuttoning a shirt or rolling up sheaves will do it.

7. I like to avoid white and lighter colors unless partially covered, they can make lighting tough. Really dark things are also hard to photograph. Baby clothes are often cotton and fade and dye well. The polyesters neither fade or dye easily. Second hand stuff from thrift store often looks better.

8. Back up duplicate clothes of course for potentially getting dirty and eating situations. (A problem with thrift store clothes.)

© Copyright 1999-2004 Ron Dexter. All Rights Reserved.