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Costume design can communicate information before an actor says anything.
Color, silhouette, fabric, and changes in clothing can suggest status, personality, relationships, or changes in a character's situation.
A costume may also visually connect several characters within the same production.
Designers consider lighting because colors can appear different under stage lights.
The costume therefore functions as part of the visual language of the performance.
Audiences may understand these signals without consciously analyzing them.
In theater, what a character wears can become part of the storytelling.
© Victoria and Albert Museum