Building a Costume Standby Kit: Essentials for Set, Studio and Location

Ask ten people working in wardrobe what they keep in their kit and you’ll get ten slightly different answers. That is part of the point. A good kit is personal. It changes depending on the job, the pace of the day, the type of production and how much responsibility sits with you.

A stylist doing a studio shoot may only need a compact edit of essentials. Someone working standby on a fast-moving production will usually need a broader kit that can handle quick fixes, continuity issues, garment prep, talent changes and the unexpected. Most people land somewhere in between.

The best kits are not necessarily the biggest. They are the ones built around the jobs you actually do, the problems you run into most often, and the tools you know how to use quickly.

Start with the essentials

If you are building a wardrobe kit from scratch, there are a few things that almost always earn their place.

Hand sewing supplies
A selection of hand sewing needles, a thimble, and threads in the colours you reach for most often are the backbone of most kits. Black, white, cream, navy and a mid-grey will cover a lot. These are the tools you will reach for when something needs to be secured, repaired or adjusted properly.

Snips or small scissors
Useful for thread ends, loose fibres, tags and quick tidy-ups without having to pull out full shears.

Micro fine tagging gun
For many wardrobe teams, this is one of the most useful tools in the kit for quick fixes on set. It can be a fast alternative to hand sewing or pinning when time is tight, and is often used for temporary fixes that need to be done cleanly and quickly. It's also an important tool for continuity.

Safety pins and dressmaker pins
These handle a huge amount of temporary problem-solving. Safety pins help with emergency fixes, and quick backstage solutions. Dressmaker pins are essential during fittings, prep and shaping garments on the body.

Seam ripper
Small, easy to overlook, and constantly useful. Whether you are removing labels, opening tacking stitches or undoing a quick fix, it is one of those tools that earns its place fast.

Measuring tape
Needed for fittings, checking proportions, confirming hemming and keeping track of garment measurements when time is tight.

Tailor’s chalk or fabric marker
For marking hems, adjustments, repairs or continuity notes directly onto fabric where appropriate.

Lint roller
One of the most universally useful kit items. It is simple, fast and often the difference between a garment looking camera-ready or not.

Double-sided fashion tape
Helpful for necklines, gaps, securing details, holding layers in place and making subtle temporary adjustments without stitching.

A compact kit for lighter jobs

For smaller shoots, fittings, assisting, editorials or short calls, a more compact kit is often enough. This version is about portability and speed rather than covering every possible scenario.

A strong small kit might include:

• hand sewing needles
• black, white and neutral thread
• snips
• seam ripper
• safety pins
• dressmaker pins
• micro fine tagging gun
• measuring tape
• tailor’s chalk or fabric marker
• fashion tape
• lint roller
• a few spare buttons
• a small pouch for elastics, hooks and eyes, or press studs

This kind of kit covers most basic repairs, minor adjustments and presentation fixes without becoming heavy or overpacked.

A fuller kit for standby and longer days

On larger jobs, longer calls or location-based work, most people need more range. That is where the fuller working kit comes in.

Alongside the essentials, people often add:

Fabric shears
Better for cutting fabric cleanly when a proper alteration or prep fix is needed.

Bulldog clips or small clamps
Very useful in fittings, on mannequins, or for temporarily holding garments in place while working through adjustments.

Laundry markers or labels
Important for identifying costume pieces, keeping cast changes organised and supporting continuity.

Stain remover wipes or spot-cleaning supplies
Because spills, makeup transfer and location dirt are part of the job.

Spare haberdashery
Hooks and eyes, bra keepers, snaps, elastic, press studs, hemming supplies and a small range of backup fastenings can solve a lot of problems without needing a full workroom setup.

Garment repair and prep items
Depending on the job, this may include mending tape, hemming tape, spare shoulder pads, collar stays, garment shields or spare hangers.

Organisation pouches
Often overlooked, but genuinely useful. Separating sewing, fastenings, labelling and emergency repair items makes a kit faster to work from under pressure.

Build your kit around the work you actually do

A commercial stylist, a costume assistant, a standby, a buyer, and someone working fittings all need slightly different things. That is why the best wardrobe kits usually evolve over time.

A good rule is to notice what you borrow, what you replace often, and what you keep reaching for during busy days. Those are the items worth making permanent.

If your work is more studio-based, your kit may stay small and streamlined. If you are constantly moving between prep, fittings, trucks, cast and set, your version will probably need to go further.

The goal is not to carry everything. It is to carry the things that make you faster, calmer and better prepared.

A good wardrobe kit should support the way you work, not weigh you down. Start with the essentials, add the tools you genuinely use, and refine it as your jobs change.

If you’re updating your kit, COSPRO stocks professional wardrobe tools including our micro fine tagging gun and ready on set go bag.

There is no single perfect packing list, but there are always a few non-negotiables.

What are your must-haves when packing your kit?