Home › Departments › Costume › Costume Buyer

Costume Buyer

Sources and purchases/hires costume under Designer/Supervisor — UK Costume grade; confirm title on the call sheet and deal memo.

Duties

• Read the call sheet and sides before arriving
• Maintain radio/set etiquette and H&S
• Hand over notes/kit status at wrap
• Source hire houses and retail
• Track budgets and returns
• Label and log purchases
• Support fittings with bought items

Reports to

Costume Designer / Supervisor

Works with

Designers, Hire houses, Accounts, Coordinator

Career path

Costume Assistant → Costume Buyer

Day to day

Shop and hire to brief; track receipts; return unused; flag availability risks early.

Call times

Fittings and truck prep often before unit call; standby tracks cast ready-times through wrap for continuity photos. Crowd days start very early.

What to wear

Blacks on set; clean presentable kit clothes; soft shoes around cast; weather layers for exteriors.

Tools & kit

Personal sewing kit for standbys/makers as usual; steamer access; continuity camera/phone; radio.

Tips

Confirm title, agreement, budget band, prep/wrap and kit fee on the deal memo before accepting. We never invent Bectu figures — check bectu.org.uk ratecards / your branch.

Software

• Excel budgets
• Shared Drive look books
• Excel / Google Sheets continuity & cast lists
• Scriptation / PDF sides
• PureRef boards (cleared refs)
• ChatGPT for period research summaries (Designer verifies)

Related roles

Costume Designer, Costume Supervisor

More Costume roles