Legally Blonde
Stitcher/Wardrobe Assistant
Musical Production | YPAS | Fall 2018
Legally Blonde was a fun show to work on in the costume department as the costumes are so iconic. YPAS created a professional environment where we were expected to fulfill our duties as a stitcher in the costume shop and a dresser backstage during the run of the production. I worked several hours in the costume shop building costumes almost every day, while maintaining high grades in school. I was involved in the building from garments from beginning to end. A major outfit I built was main character Elle Wood's majorette outfit for when she leads a band to convince in song the Harvard admission to let her in. The sparkly sequin fabric is very flashy and fitting for her character but required more skill to work with. You'll break sequins or a needle if you don't stitch carefully, especially with multiple layers of lining. I stitched a hidden zipper on the which she had to quickly use during her quick change. The epaulets on the shoulder of the jacket were also crafted by me, attaching sequin fabric to cardboard to and decorating it with trim and fringe. Elle's majorette hat also has some craftwork on it, painting the rim, adding pink feathers, and attaching more of the pink sequin fabric and gold trim. For time and efficiency a lot of hot glue were used in these crafts when attaching items that couldn't be sewn.
In addition to being a stitcher I was a wardrobe assistant, working backstage at every rehearsal and performance. I helped actors with their quick changes and kept track of their costume pieces. It taught me to be fast and always be alert to what was going on so I'd always be ready. Elle Woods in particular had numerous quick changes which I was in charge of assisting with. They were very fast, happening during songs, with her pet dog nearby, and even one onstage involving magnets when she switches dress during the dress shopping opening scene. During the show I would track down any missing items, note any repairs needed, and log every item on the rack so we were ready and for the next day. As it was a large musical production there were numerous outfits for every actor so we had to be very organized and proactive to make sure everyone had the right items needed.
