A wardrobe attendant -- also known as a wardrobe assistant or costume attendant -- is a person responsible for various duties involving clothing, wardrobes and costumes. These workers often work where clothing is a key part of the industry, such as in fashion or motion pictures. A wardrobe attendant's duties nay vary significantly between positions, and these workers must often work with other fashion professionals to carry out their duties.

Description

According to Onet Online, costume attendants are responsible for a variety of responsibilities surrounding costumes and wardrobes, primarily in the fashion or entertainment industries. These workers perform duties such as arranging costumes in preparation for stage or live performances, ensuring costumes are properly returned after completion of a performance, and purchasing or renting wardrobe clothing as needed for a production.

Skills

Onet online notes that wardrobe attendants need a variety of skills in order to properly fulfill their duties. As they often work in conjunction with performers, directors and designers, the ability to communicate effectively and coordinate with other people is crucial. Wardrobe attendants must also be able to sense other people's reactions and be able to understand what caused the reaction and how, if possible, to address it.

Education and Training

Most wardrobe attendants have a high school diploma or its equivalent, according to Onet, while a little more than a quarter of these workers have some college or a bachelor's degree. These jobs typically require some knowledge or previous experience with clothing and working with the public, and some workers may participate in an apprentice program to learn the skills required to maintain a wardrobe or costume collection.

Wages

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an estimated 5,490 costume attendants made about $16.63 an hour, or about $34,580 per year, for 2010. The top 10 percent of earners in the industry made about $30.91 per hour, or $64,300 per year. Most of these workers were employed in performing arts companies, amusement parks and arcades and motion picture and video industry sectors of the economy.