Motion Picture Costumers (IATSE Local 705)

Overview

The Motion Picture Costumers, operating as IATSE Local 705, is the union representing costume supervisors, set costumers, additional costumers, background costumers, and other wardrobe staff working in motion pictures and television in the United States. Founded in 1926, Local 705 is one of the older IATSE locals and covers the operational and execution layer of the costume department -- the crew who manage, prepare, and maintain costumes on set and in the wardrobe department, distinct from the Costume Designers Guild (Local 892) which covers the creative design leadership of the department.

The distinction between Local 705 and Local 892 reflects the functional division within the costume department. The costume designer (Local 892) develops the overall costume concept and creative design. The costume supervisor (Local 705) manages the day-to-day operation of the wardrobe department, tracks continuity, coordinates fittings and alterations, manages the wardrobe budget, and leads the set costumer team. Set costumers (also Local 705) work on set during principal photography, dressing performers and maintaining costume continuity between shots.

Membership and Classifications

Local 705 organizes its membership by classification, covering costume supervisors, key set costumers, set costumers, background costumers, and manufacturing costumers who construct garments in the wardrobe department. Each classification carries distinct minimum rates and working conditions under the IATSE Basic Agreement.

The costume supervisor is one of the most logistically demanding roles in any production's below-the-line crew, responsible for coordinating fitting schedules, managing alterations and repairs, tracking hundreds of individual costume pieces across multiple shooting days and locations, and ensuring that continuity is maintained across all scenes and setups. On large productions with complex period or character costumes, the costume supervisor manages a substantial wardrobe team.

On-Set Wardrobe Work

Set costumers work on set throughout the shooting day, dressing performers between takes, managing quick changes, addressing continuity issues flagged by the script supervisor, and protecting costumes between setups. The physical and logistical demands of on-set wardrobe work -- long hours, demanding physical environment, the need for constant vigilance over continuity details -- make experienced set costumers among the most valuable members of any shooting crew.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For productions budgeting their costume department, understanding the distinction between Local 892 (design) and Local 705 (execution) costs is essential. The costume supervisor and set costumer team represent a significant portion of on-set below-the-line costs on any production with substantial costuming requirements. Budgeting for costume supervisor and set costumer rates as separate line items from the designer's fee helps producers plan realistically.

For period productions, large ensemble casts, and genre productions with elaborate character costumes, the Local 705 team carries substantial logistical responsibility that requires experienced crew to execute reliably.

See Also

For the costume design leadership covered by a separate local, see Costume Designers Guild (IATSE Local 892) in this directory. For the broader IATSE structure, see IATSE in this directory.