Costume. Modern Theatre

The Italian term il costume [kosˈtume] refers to a set of clothing specific to certain places and times, characteristic of a role or condition, a profession, a popular folkloric or historical tradition, comprising the clothing itself and its accessories, the main ones being belts, bags, watches, linens, hairstyles, socks and shoes, hats, gloves, jewellery and fans. From clothing worn in the Roman Empire from the 1st century AD, to the development of fashions in European courts and cities between the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the history of clothing became the history of il costume. Models, shapes and materials took on symbolic value, thus identifying social positions, roles and habits in male and female costumes of the nobility and the common people. Over time, il costume, has borne witness to aesthetic canons, social dynamics, economic and market situations, and modes of expression in various public situations. Theatre (or film) costume indicates clothing created and worn for stage performances, and identifies a stage role. Theatre costumes can be historical, a faithful or reinterpreted reproduction of a costume for a specific role in a specific age, or a fantasy costume according to the choices of the costume or dress designer, with adaptations to modern trends or free symbolic creations.