What Really Happens When Your Show Doesn’t Allow Enough Costume Time
- Gina Vincenza Van Epps
- Nov 22
- 2 min read
Fast-turnaround entertainment projects often skip one critical phase: true design development. And while the consequences usually get blamed on the designer, the real issue is almost always turnaround time, or lack of it.
Rushing the Process Creates Avoidable Problems
When a project doesn’t allow adequate time for sourcing, sampling and prototyping, small issues snowball into expensive mistakes.
Common outcomes include:
Fabrics that fail under performance conditions
Fabrics, trims, buttons or embroidery that clash under stage lighting and in photos
Delayed or lost materials that force last-minute substitutions
Costumes that don’t match the size of performers ultimately cast
Even high budgets can’t compensate. I’ve had teams ask if “throwing more money at it” could speed things up, but factors like vendor lead times, weather shutdowns, pandemics and shipping delays won’t bend to budgets. Money can’t make more needed time appear.
For complex costumes, 6–7 months OR MORE is realistic. Three months, or less, is not.
Common Breakdowns That Derail Production
1. Misaligned Internal Communication
Production teams sometimes commission weeks of drawings only to discover that upper management had design requirements nobody asked about.
The result: wasted time, wasted money, and starting over.
2. Casting and Sizing Mismatches
Costume development and casting must be aligned from the start.
Examples include:
A “younger, fitter Lumberjack Santa” was approved, but casting hired a traditional Santa agency instead. Nothing fit.
Two separate California projects needed XL performers the local market couldn’t supply. The production ended up with unusable size ratios and not enough performers.
3. Insufficient Development and Sampling Time
On one rushed project, custom gold buttons, trim, and embroidery all arrived in different shades because there wasn’t enough time to order and compare samples.
A few extra weeks would have prevented the entire issue.
Respecting the Timeline Protects Your Production
Thoughtful design development, sourcing, sampling, testing, patterning, prototyping and time for refining, safeguards your schedule, budget and artistic vision.
When teams start early and communicate clearly, designers can deliver their best work and productions avoid the panic, delays and costly last-minute fixes that come from skipping critical steps.
Ready to Avoid These Mistakes?
If your upcoming production needs expert costume design, development, patterning or full-service build, House Of Vincenza offers tailored solutions for entertainment teams and budgets of all sizes.
Contact us today for a free consultation and timeline assessment.
We’ll help you plan your costume needs the right way, before the clock starts working against you.
Gina Vincenza Van Epps
Founder and Creative Director
Emmy Award Winning Celebrity Seamstress
Theme Park Costume Designer
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