Wardrobe tag
- Local 705 lists four studio costume departments: ABC Signature, Warner Bros., Fox and Universal.
- Most signatory costume houses offer rentals, workrooms, prep space and supplies; some are made-to-order only.
- Productions may rent finished costumes from any source, but most Local 705 contracts forbid nonunion manufacturing without advance permission.
Not every costume on screen is made for the production that uses it. Many are pulled from rental stock, and in Los Angeles the Motion Picture Costumers, IATSE Local 705, publish a list of the union studio departments and costume houses that hold it. Here is how that network is organized and how to approach it.
Why rent instead of build
A costume supervisor, Local 705 explains, decides whether to shop for, purchase, rent or build each costume. Pulling costumes from rental houses is part of a finished costumer’s job, the union says, and its own description of its costume houses captures the idea: they store and rent out previously used costume pieces so that good things don’t go to waste. How the other options work is in How a Film Costume Is Made: From Script Breakdown to the Last Fitting.
Studio costume departments
Local 705 says studio costume departments have the advantage of huge inventories, including large collections of period and contemporary costumes, and can supplement productions with their own tailoring, manufacturing and rentals. The union lists four:
| Studio department | Location | Notes from Local 705’s list |
|---|---|---|
| ABC Signature Costume Department | Glendale | No tailor shop or manufacturing |
| Warner Bros. Studio Operations | Burbank | Separate rental, admin and workroom lines |
| Fox Studio | West Los Angeles (West Pico Blvd) | Building 99 |
| Universal Studios | Universal City | No tailor shop or manufacturing |
Inside a studio costume department, Local 705’s costume department forepersons supervise the stock specialists and costumers who run the rental operation, rather than working on productions.
Independent signatory costume houses
Beyond the studios, Local 705 lists independent costume houses that are union signatories, meaning they pay union wages and benefits to their workers. The union describes a costume house as a one-stop shop to acquire period costumes and accessories, or to manufacture costumes when a department is under pressure. Services vary: some are large operations with rental and full manufacturing departments, while others are made-to-order houses.
- Rentals, workroom, prep space and supplies: American Costume Corp. and Western Costume Company, both in North Hollywood.
- Rentals and workroom: Motion Picture Costume Co. in Burbank.
- Workrooms for building and alterations: houses in Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Burbank, Sun Valley, San Fernando and Simi Valley, among others.
- Specialty manufacturing workrooms: Lucid Studios, Thingergy and Spectral Motion, in Burbank and Glendale.
Many costume house employees, the union notes, are experts in particular periods, uniforms or genres, and they handle rentals and made-to-order work for productions and studios that come to them for needs their own departments cannot cover.
Commercials lean on rental stock as well. Local 705 calls its commercial costumers the sprinters of the costume world, making mini movies in a few weeks or even days, and lists searching out weird costume pieces in costume rental houses among their jobs.
The union rule on renting versus making
Local 705 asks its members to use signatory union sources before going to nonunion rental houses. The rule that matters most is about manufacturing. A production is allowed to rent or buy finished costumes from any source, but most of the union’s contracts forbid costume manufacturing from nonunion sources without express advance permission from the union’s business office. That includes specialty costumes such as superhero suits, aliens and sports uniforms.
Altering a rented costume
Rented costumes rarely fit as they come. Local 705’s alteration fitters and tailor fitters alter existing garments to fit the cast, and the union notes they specialize in reversible alterations, so that rented costumes can go back to the costume house without permanent changes. Almost every piece of clothing seen on a film, show or commercial has been custom altered to fit, the union says.
Tip: If you rent anything, ask before you alter it. Agree in writing what changes are allowed, and keep seam allowances and hems intact so the piece can be returned as it came.
Before you rent
- Ask what the house offers: rentals only, made-to-order work, or both, and whether there is prep space for fittings.
- Ask whether it rents to individuals as well as productions, and on what terms; Local 705 describes these houses as serving productions and studios.
- Confirm the rental period, deposit, cleaning charges and damage policy before you take anything.
- For period work, describe the decade and the characters; staff knowledge of periods and uniforms is part of what you are paying for.
From rental counter to career
Costume houses are also a doorway into the industry. Thirty days of work as a costumer at a signatory house can make you eligible to apply to Local 705; see Working in a Los Angeles Costume Department: Jobs, Rosters and the Paths Into Local 705. If you would rather own than rent, read Buying Vintage Clothing and Costumes in LA: How to Inspect, What the Labels Tell You, and What to Avoid, and for Halloween plans, Halloween in Los Angeles: West Hollywood Carnaval 2026 and the California Costume Rules to Know.