Trinity Hall’s production of "The Hello Girls" is coming up in March and the costume crew is hard at work! The show is centered around female telephone operators during World War I. As such, the design of the costumes is very specific and time consuming.
Lucy Kennedy ‘25, costume team co-leader said, “Right now, we are kind of in an awkward position, as there are a bunch of different things in different stages at the same time. We have a group of girls working on hand sewing gold buttons onto jackets to make them look like army uniforms, and another is cutting out matching navy skirts.”
There are many different components that have to be made for the costumes as there are a variety of characters, with many requiring outfit changes. Additionally, the costume crew is responsible for appropriately accessorizing characters in order to bring the narrative to life.
To make these costumes fit the 1918 time frame, many details must be taken into consideration. Kennedy also stated, “Starting from the beginning, Maggie Havens and I always do a bunch of research about whatever time period the show takes place in, so we read a lot about 1918. We can tell a lot about how people would dress by looking at the economic and social state during that time. We know that if someone is directly impacted by the war, they wouldn't have super fancy colors or patterns, but the wealthier people would.”
The hard work, dedication, and attention to detail that everyone on Trinity Hall’s costumes team will definitely pay off. We are excited to see what else is to come with "The Hello Girls!"