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Costume design originated in Ancient Greece, where the first playwright Aeschylus began to create and design many costumes for actors performing in tragedies. Aeschylus lived in the 5th century BC, where he had extreme passions for theatre and design.

During his lifetime, he wrote up to 90 plays, and specialised in tragedies. His plays were outstanding and he received lots of praise and awards, and was known to the public as the "father of tragedy" (World History Encyclopedia, Mark Cartwright, 10 December 2015)

Furthermore, Aeschylus created lots of costumes throughout his life, the costumes consisted of two main garments: plain robes/tunic and sometimes a cloak. They were simple and made from wool or linen, this was crucial as it attracted the audience's attention to the extravagant masks which were worn with the clothes. The masks were made from many materials such as: wood, cloth, cork, hardened linen, leather and they usually were decorated with human or animal hair for further detail.

Masks were extremely important in theatre during ancient greece, as actors used them to portray many different characters. This is because, there were usually more characters than actors, therefore by wearing masks it allowed the actor to play more than one role.  The masks had exaggerated faces which helped define the characters the actors were playing and allowed the actors to become one with their character. In addition, due to the size and shape of the masks, they projected sound like a megaphone which helped with the acoustics of the theatre.

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During the Medieval times, costume was highly influenced by the Catholic Church as the majority were very religious, therefore it was shown in theatre. Costumes were quite simple during these times, the actors wore church vestments (robes) and some accessories to help portray the character they were playing. For example, an actor playing the role of an angel would wear a plain white robe with wings. Most of the plays were related to religion, therefore most of the characters were religious beings, such as devils or angels. Actors who played the role of the devil were made to look hideous, they wore unsightly masks which had horns, fangs and snouts. They were painted in dull tones of reds, blues and black to make them look all the more revolting. The actors also had long tails sewn into the back of their costumes.

Furthermore, the costumes were made from different silks and linen, they were dyed in vibrant colours which was very expensive. The dyes were imported from the east, however they faded easily if they weren’t mixed with a mordant. Therefore, the noble and well respected characters wore the vibrant and colourful costumes, whereas the poorer characters wore faded and tatted clothes to further show the divide in society. For example, the actors who played slaves wore faded clothes and masks to make them look grim as they were usually comical characters therefore they were made to look funny.

Actors who played soldiers wore quite extravagant costumes, they had armour which was carved with many intricate gold and silver designs, and usually a sword and shield.

In addition, due to the fact that women were not allowed to work in the theatre industry, only men were able to be actors, therefore they wore different costumes and masks to portray themselves as female characters. The female masks had larger, more prominent features such as bigger eyes and mouths, which helped to show the innocence and femininity of women. The female characters usually wore a cloak with a hood which was pulled up to cover their hair and face.

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Costume design in the Elizabethan era was very elaborate and expensive. A variety of fabrics were used to create these extravagant clothes, such as: silk, velvet, taffeta, cotton and fur. Wealthier characters wore more expensive costumes to portray their nobility and high status, whereas the poorer characters such as the peasants and slaves, wore cheaper fabrics and run down clothes to show their poverty.

Furthermore, womens costumes mainly consisted of a gown, petticoat, farthingale and a corset. If the female character was considered noble the fabrics and dyes used would be expensive and vibrant. The silk dresses featured ivory highlights and were embellished with jewels, diamonds and pearls to show their wealth. Sometimes they also wore a feather hat to further show off their nobility.

In addition, mens costumes consisted of a doublet, breeches, hose, and codpiece. However, if the character was considered of noble relation, the costume was more dramatic and elaborate. For example, the wealthy men wore a heavy brocade, stockings, tight fitting doublets, knee-length trousers, stiff linen collars and ruffs. Usually the costume was decorated with gold accents and designs.

However, if the character was less fortunate, the costume would have less colour as the dyes used were not as expensive and the materials used would also be cheaper and more affordable.

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During the regency era, costumes were quite simple but they were flourished in detail. The main design of the era was the empire silhouette. Many women wore this both in theatre and everyday attire. The dresses, were long and were loose fitting from the empire waistline to the ankle, creating a flattering and feminine shape. They also had a sheer shift layer over the top of the dress, sewn underneath the waistline.

In addition, a variety of fabrics were used, such as: heavy silks, wool or cotton, however the dresses were light coloured and therefore didn't need much dye. The dresses were engulfed with lots of detailed embroidery and lace to emphasize their wealth and nobility.

Furthermore, for the mens costumes, they wore suits with a standing collar and knee length tailcoats. A standing collar is a collar that stands upright instead of folds and it is designed to stay up, therefore it has no creases and is quite stiff. Their shirts were made from linen and they wore top boots and a cravat.

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During the Victorian times, both fashion and costumes were very intricate, meaning that they had lots of layers and padding to create the ideal hourglass figure. For example, they wore corsets, bonnets, top hats, bustles and petticoats.

Female costumes tended to have an elongated V-shaped bodice that cinched in at the natural waistline. They also had full skirts which helped to further enhance the hourglass silhouette. In addition, the women wore gigot sleeves which is a type of sleeve that had a wide "puff" top and was narrow from the elbow to the wrist.

The fabrics used to make the costumes were mainly cotton and wool which is a cheaper form of fabric, which was used to present the lower class characters such as peasants and servants. However, satin and silk were used to portray wealthy and noble characters as it was very expensive.

The dyes used on poor victorian womens costumes, would usually be dark and dull, as it showed their lack of money because the dyes used faded quickly as they were cheap.

The wealthy women's dresses would be a heavy duty fabric, therefore it was very difficult to sew by hand, so then the sewing machine was developed and used towards the end of the Victorian era, as it became very popular in the 1890s.

Furthermore, the sewing machine became very popular in the costume industry as it made a huge difference to the quality and strength of the clothes. It also made the job quicker and easier than hand sewing, which meant that more costumes could be made.

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The most famous costume of the 1920s was the flapper girl. They performed in jazz clubs and speakeasies where they danced and sang, whilst wearing the famous flapper silhouette.

The French designer, Jean Patou, was known to be one of the first people to create the “flapper design”, where it quickly became popular throughout Europe and the United States.

Furthermore, the famous novel “The Great Gatsby” written by F. Scott Fitzgerald (released 1925) featured many female characters wearing this dress style and costumes, which also helped to populate this style of costume. The style was straight and slim rather than long and flowing which was very different to the periods before.

The classic “flapper silhouette” costume consisted of a “boyish” style of dress, which was typically straight up and straight down with no curvature at the hips. The dress was short (knee length was considered short during that era), and was usually flourished with rhinestones and pearls, sometimes the dress had detailed embroidery and tassels. Instead of wearing a corset, women often altered for bras and lingerie. They also wore, fishnet stocking, high heels, flamboyant accessories and typically had short hair, such as “bobs”. In addition, the short dress was sleeveless and usually low cut to emphasise their features. Sometimes, female characters in shows would wear blush on their kneecaps to further draw attention to their long, slim legs, which were now able to be seen due to their freedom.

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Costume in theatre today is extremely different to the costume design in some of the other time periods, because modern day technology is a lot more advanced than it was back then. For example, now we have the capabilities to design very intricate head pieces for the actors to wear in order to portray their character. This is because, we can fit in different lighting systems to make the eyes of the mask glow, we can make puppets, masks and headpieces move with advanced technology to help create a more realistic feel to the show. This helps to keep the audience in more of a trance, as it leaves them wondering what sorcery was used to make the performance feel so magical, therefore they will find more joy of going to see shows as they wow them every time.

In addition, the dyes used nowadays are a lot more strong which mean that they last longer due to the more advanced chemicals, which will also help to give more of a realistic feel to the show.

Furthermore, there are four types of costume, such as historical, fantastical, dance and modern, because there is a variety of different genres of shows. This is because, old costume design was a lot more simple, because usually the shows were set in that time period, so the characters wore similar clothes to what the public would wear everyday, for example long corseted dresses and gowns etc. However, in modern day, because there are many genres the costume has a lot more variety. This is because, the different types of costumes designed today are usually set from books and film, because costumes are influenced on past events and things that have already been made.