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	WPI Technical Theatre Handbook: Fitting
	Fitting One of the most important aspects of costuming is making sure the costumes fit the actors properly. This requires a fair degree of skill and practice, but there are several useful points that can make the job easier. In cases where costumes are being sewn for a production, measurements of the actors should be taken. There are two general sets of measurements that are taken -- one set for upper body (for shirts, jackets, etc.), and one for the lower body (pants, skirts, etc.) The measurements that affect the fitting of clothing vary slightly between men and women. Upper body measurements for men include the following: shoulder-to-shoulder, arm length, neck circumference, chest circumference, and back-to-waist length. A shoulder-to-shoulder measurement should be taken to provide a working width for the piece of clothing being created. Next, a measurement should be taken from the bone in the back of the neck to the wrist, to attain a sleeve length. Also helpful are circumference measurements of the chest and neck. Lastly, a measurement from the bone in the back of the neck to the waist helps to ensure that the garment will be of sufficient length for the actor. There are fewer lower body than upper body measurements to be taken. A waist circumference measurement aids in making pants that will stay on the actor rather than fall down. Additionally, inseam (from crotch to ankle) and outseam (from waist to ankle) measurements help to fit the garment properly to the actor's leg length. The upper body measurements that need to be taken for women are similar to those for men. The only major difference is that, with women, a bust measurement needs to be taken. Women's lower body measurements are taken in a similar fashion, with the addition of hip measurements. These additional measurements are necessary to assure proper fit due to the natural differences in shape between male and female bodies. If the fitting skills of the designer or seamster are not particularly good, it is desirable for fairly loose-fitting costumes to be designed. It is much more preferable to have a costume fit loosely and look halfway decent than be too tight, look terrible and rip during a performance! Use of information in this document implies understanding and agreement with the copyright and terms of use. Specifically, no warranty is expressed or implied regarding the accuracy of the information contained within. YOU USE THIS INFORMATION AT YOUR OWN RISK. All trademarks are property of their respective owners. You must obtain permission from the author before using the contents of The Handbook for anything other than private use.	Table of Contents [Whole book in PDF 5.3MB] Contents Introduction Goals Sources Methods Conclusions Costumes Introduction Procurement Fabrics Color Patterns Fitting Rehearsal Clothing Design How to Begin Color Practicality Documents The Set Introduction Set Pieces Platforms Flats Stairs Rakes Other Structures Floor Coverings Construction Materials Tools Finishing Painting Types of Paint Mixing Paints Applying Paint Draperies Design How to Begin Documents Computer-Aided Design A Typical Set Construction at WPI Rigging Introduction Common Rigging Hardware Rope Wire Rope Thimbles, Wire Rope Clips, and Swages Shackles, Turnbuckles and Hooks Chain & Rapid Links Slings Fly Methods Non-Counterweighted Pulley Systems Counterweighted Fly Systems Lifts Chain Motors Flying Set Pieces Lighting Introduction Lighting Instruments Scoops Cyclorama Lights Parabolic Reflector Cans Fresnel Spotlights Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlights Automated Instruments Color Color Theory Primary, Secondary and Complementary Colors of Light Light Mixing Practical Use of Color Glass, Gelatine and Plastics Dichroic Color Filters Patterns Dimmers Dimmer History Cables and Connectors Lighting Boards Control Design Washes Specials Cyclorama Lighting Color Lighting Angle Simulating Exteriors Lighting Design Paperwork Shop Order Instrument Plots Focus Sheets Computer-Aided Lighting Design A Typical Lighting Hang at WPI Audio Introduction Input Microphones Converting Sound to Electricity Directionality Analog Tape Digital Audio Tape (DAT) Compact Disc (CD) Mini-Disc (MD) Digital Samplers Computer Sound Cards Mixing Boards Signal Processing Equipment Equalizers Compressors and Limiters Noise Gates Effects Processors Output Power Amplifiers Speakers Crossovers Cabling and Connectors Line-Level Speaker-Level Automation Design Creating and Obtaining Effects Editing and Processing Effects Designing the Sound System The Input Section Signal Processing The Output Section A Typical Audio Setup at WPI Power Introduction Basic Theory Power Feeds Power Distribution Boxes Power Protection Important Considerations Special Effects Introduction Animated Costuming Smoke and Fog Pyrotechnics Acknowledgements References List of Figures Index About this document ...

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