Woodrow Wilson's
"West Side Story"
Costume Guide
WELCOME! This page is specifically designed for Woodrow Wilson's cast of "West Side Story" in Washington, D.C. This guide corresponds with the check-list that has been pasted out to each individual cast member. The check-list breaks down each individual piece that the cast member needs for the production.
FOLLOWING THE GUIDE This page is broken down into each character grouping; Jet Boys, Jet Girls, Shark Boys, Shark Girls, and Adults. The featured dancers, dance troupe, and ensemble have all been assigned into one of these categories. To protect privacy the list will not be published here. If you have questions about which character group you or your cast member are in, please ask the director or assistant director.
From each character grouping, its broken down into each look for the characters (ie. "On the Street", "At the Dance", "Ballet"). There are pictures and descriptions for all the pieces. Don't feel like you need to find the exact things in the images. They are just examples of what I'm looking for each costume. What is important are the details of the period and the color palette. There are written descriptions to help as well. And if I or anyone finds helpful links, I'll post those right to the items.
COLOR PALETTES The script is very specific about the color palette for each group, so we want to make sure we follow it. You should think of the color palette as a your crayon box. Those are the only colors you have, so you have to make due with the crayons in your box. The Sharks and the Jets' palettes are very distinct. If you compare them to each other, you can see what colors you definitely should not use.
QUESTIONS? If you get stuck or have any questions that the guide doesn't answer, please feel free to ask me in the contact form at the bottom of the page. There is also a forum that you can leave tips or ask other people question. I'll check it often to throw my two cents in.
FOLLOWING THE GUIDE This page is broken down into each character grouping; Jet Boys, Jet Girls, Shark Boys, Shark Girls, and Adults. The featured dancers, dance troupe, and ensemble have all been assigned into one of these categories. To protect privacy the list will not be published here. If you have questions about which character group you or your cast member are in, please ask the director or assistant director.
From each character grouping, its broken down into each look for the characters (ie. "On the Street", "At the Dance", "Ballet"). There are pictures and descriptions for all the pieces. Don't feel like you need to find the exact things in the images. They are just examples of what I'm looking for each costume. What is important are the details of the period and the color palette. There are written descriptions to help as well. And if I or anyone finds helpful links, I'll post those right to the items.
COLOR PALETTES The script is very specific about the color palette for each group, so we want to make sure we follow it. You should think of the color palette as a your crayon box. Those are the only colors you have, so you have to make due with the crayons in your box. The Sharks and the Jets' palettes are very distinct. If you compare them to each other, you can see what colors you definitely should not use.
QUESTIONS? If you get stuck or have any questions that the guide doesn't answer, please feel free to ask me in the contact form at the bottom of the page. There is also a forum that you can leave tips or ask other people question. I'll check it often to throw my two cents in.
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| checklist_jet_boys.docx |
JET GIRLS
CHECKLIST
| checklist_jet_girls.docx |
SHARK BOYS
CHECKLIST
| checklist_shark_boys.docx |
SHARK GIRLS
CHECKLIST
| checklist_shark_girls.docx |
A Brief History
West Side Story takes place in the mid to late 1950's in New York City's upper West Side. After the Spanish-American War swelled with African-American soldiers and their families, who fought in Cuba and wanted to be a part of the growing city. Then during WWII, dislocated Jews moved from Eastern Europe seeking asylum from Hitler. And in 1950's, many Puerto Ricans left their island for New York to find their own American dream. The continuous layering of dislocated cultures created a tenuous relationship among neighbors. Add the youth revolt of the 50's, and the radical race-related teen gangs took over the streets. After years of dilapidated building falling further into disrepair and violent gang murders, the city had enough of the poor and disillusioned part of the city. Only a few years or even months after this story takes place for NYC's Urban Renewal Project. In fact, some the last images of the Upper West Side as it was are in the movie because the city waited for the filming of the exterior shots to be finished before demolishing. Today, its an upscale neighbor that includes Columbia University and Lincoln Center.
History Links...
Jet Boys
Designer Rendering
Color Palette
The Jets have a strict color palette; blue and yellow. They want everyone to know who they are so they don't stray very far from their signature colors. Their colors are icy and cool.
"On the Street"
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Shirts haven't changed to much from the 50's. T-shirts, Baseball T's, and short sleeved button-down shirts were very popular. They were fitted closely to the body and would feel tighter than we're use to today. The Jets wear plaids, strips, and solids. Their shirts are almost always tucked into their pants.
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Pants are either straight legged blue jeans or khakis. The waist and rise(the length of the zipper from the crotch to the top) are a lot higher than today's jeans. The waist band should hit close to the belly button. They also wore their pants long and rolled up the bottoms. Even if they were poor, their jeans would never have holes in them.
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Shoes were canvas high tops made popular brand "Chuck Taylor" or canvas shoes like KEDS. They would be blue, navy, brown, or black. Please no white shoes, because they will look too bright on stage underneath the lights.
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Jackets or Sweaters are optional. If you like, they would be similar to two-toned letterman jackets or "Pink Ladies" style jackets. Khaki, plaid, or blue "Member's Only" style jackets were typical in the 50's. The sweaters would be light weight cardigans that would be worn open.
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Accessories are relatively simple. Boys would wear white tube socks or argyle socks. They would wear brown leather or canvas belts with the buckle worn to the side. Brown leather or canvas bracelets were also popular.
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"At the Dance"
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Shirts are solid or stripped long sleeved button-downs. The collars are the same fabric and collar of the rest of the shirt and are relatively thin.
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Pants are straight legged and high waisted. They would be khaki, blue, or brown and be made of solid, subtle plaid, or stripped fabric. The legs would be cleanly hemmed.
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Shoes are very similar to dress shoes we have today. Solid brown leather or wing-tipped shoes were common in 50's dance halls.
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Jackets or Vest would most certainly be worn to dances. They would match the pants or coordinate with them. They were wool plaid or strip and had thin lapels. They were well fitted, but "Teddy Boys" often wore long jackets that were popular in jazz and rock-n-roll circles.
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Accessories would consist of coordinating skinny ties and argyle socks. If they didn't have a vest, they would most likely have a cummerbund. Belts would be brown leather and match their shoes.
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"Ballet"
THIS COSTUME IS ONLY FOR THE BOYS CHOREOGRAPHED IN THE BALLET
White Shirt and Blue Jeans are for the ballet scene. White t-shits or white button-down shirts (or both together) are worn on top. And light wash blue jeans are worn on the bottom. The ballet takes place inside Marie's dream where everything is peaceful and heavenly. The shirt s and pants should fit like the street clothes; close to the body. Please make sure these clothes are danceable. The same shoes may be worn as the street clothes.
Jet Girls
Designer Rendering
Color Palette
The Jets have a strict color palette; blue and yellow. They want everyone to know who they are so they don't stray very far from their signature colors. Their colors are icy and cool.
"On the Streets"
Street Clothes for the Jet girls were worn for two purposes; to look fashionable and shock their parents. They based their looks off of women like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. They didn't like the conservative look of their mother's full skirts and covered arms. They preferred hip hugging pencil skirts and waist cinching blouses. If they wore pants (which was very rebellious at the time), they would be high waisted and be hemmed at the shin like a capri pant. Their street clothes would almost always consist of separates, a top and a bottom. The Jet girls are concerned with looking very feminine all the time. So while flats were worn at the time, Jet girls would always wear heels. They preferred simpler patterns like stripes, but a little leopard print could go a long way.
Accessories were pretty simple for the Jet girls. They love wide belts and sheer scarves ties around their necks. They may also have a thin chain necklace or a charm bracelet.
"At the Dance"
Party Dresses are not too different than their street counterparts. They were often form fitting, but it was not unusual for a Jet girl to have a full skirt. Regardless, the dress shows off her best curves. Most importantly, the colors were cool and had very little pattern to draw attention to their femininity. Since they were form fitting, they would have long slits to allow for raucous dancing. And remember they would wear spanks the same color as the inside of their dress for modesty.
"Ballet"
THIS COSTUME IS ONLY FOR THE GIRLS CHOREOGRAPHED IN THE BALLET
White/Pastel Dress needs to be ballet danceable. That means the skirts has to full and there must be at least straps. Sleeves are okay, as long as the girls can move their arms freely. The skirt should be between shin and knee length. The color should be white or a very light pastel and please avoid any pops of bright colors. The dresses are whimsical and appear in Maria's dream where everything is peaceful and heavenly. Please remember that the girls will need accompanying white spanks for modesty.
Hair and Make-Up
These are pretty easy and fun. She shows you a lot of tricks to do the iconic looks of the time. As a note she's British, so when she says "fringe", it means "bangs".
This is a great video. She does it as if she was doing it in the 50's. So you don't have to do the overnight pin curls. Just piece out and curl your hair and start the video at 9:16. it doesn't have to be exactly like this, but you can get the idea of the hair techniques. Plus, she has a ton of other videos! Please, practice this at home.
This is a good basic look. You could easily put this in a ponytail too.
Here's some makeup tutorials. You don't have to use the exact makeup that they use, but take the colors into account. Please keep in mind that the 50's eyebrows are very different than what you're use to today. Also, the lashes and beauty marks are optional.
Shark Boys
Designer Rendering
Color Palette
The Sharks color palette is warm and vibrant. Bright colors like purples, pinks, reds, oranges, and greens came directly from the island. The bright colors shows how lively and raucous the Sharks can be. Dark neutrals like black and brown would allow the brighter colors to stand out and a bigger impact. The Sharks are about being noticed.
"On the Street"
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Shirts haven't changed to much from the 50's. T-shirts, Tank Tops, Baseball T's, and short sleeved button-down shirts were very popular. They were fitted closely to the body and would feel tighter than we're use to today. The Sharks wear tropical patterned, brightly patterned, and solids. Their shirts are almost always tucked into their pants.
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Pants are either straight legged black or dark blue jeans or black trousers. The waist and rise(the length of the zipper from the crotch to the top) are a lot higher than today's pants. The waist band should hit close to the belly button. They also wore their pants long and rolled up the bottoms. Even if they were poor, their jeans would never have holes in them.
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Shoes were canvas high tops made popular brand "Chuck Taylor" or canvas shoes like KEDS. They would be red, orange, purple, green, brown, or black. Please no white shoes, because they will look too bright on stage underneath the lights.
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Jackets or Vests are optional. If you like, they would be similar to two-toned letterman jackets or leather motorcycle jackets. Red, green, or purple "Member's Only" style jackets were typical in the 50's. The vest would be light weight sweaters or wool dress style that would be worn open.
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Accessories are relatively simple. Boys would wear white tube socks or argyle socks. They would wear black leather or canvas belts with the buckle worn to the side. Black leather or canvas bracelets were also popular. Also religious memorabilia like crosses on thin chains would be common.
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"At the Dance"
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Shirts are solid or colorfully patterned sleeved button-downs. The collars are the same fabric and collar of the rest of the shirt and are relatively thin.
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Pants are straight legged and high waisted. They would be black and be made of solid, subtle plaid, or stripped fabric. The legs would be cleanly hemmed.
|
Shoes are very similar to dress shoes we have today. Solid black leather or wing-tipped shoes were common in 50's dance halls.
|
|
Jackets or Vest would most certainly be worn to dances. They would match the pants or coordinate with them. They were solid or strip and had thin lapels.
|
Accessories would consist of colorful coordinating skinny ties and colorful socks. If they didn't have a vest, they would most likely have a colorful cummerbund. Belts would be black leather and match their shoes.
|
"Ballet"
THIS COSTUME IS ONLY FOR THE BOYS CHOREOGRAPHED IN THE BALLET
White Shirt and Blue Jeans are for the ballet scene. White t-shits or white button-down shirts (or both together) are worn on top. And light wash blue jeans are worn on the bottom. The ballet takes place inside Marie's dream where everything is peaceful and heavenly. The shirt s and pants should fit like the street clothes; close to the body. Please make sure these clothes are danceable. The same shoes may be worn as the street clothes.
Shark Girls
Designer Rendering
Color Palette
The Sharks color palette is warm and vibrant. Bright colors like purples, pinks, reds, oranges, and greens came directly from the island. The bright colors shows how lively and raucous the Sharks can be. Dark neutrals like black and brown would allow the brighter colors to stand out and a bigger impact. The Sharks are about being noticed.
"On the Street"
Day Dresses for the Sharks would have been very practical. Almost all the Shark girls would have had jobs in a bridal shop sewing, a dry cleaners, or a factory. Their dresses would be made out of cotton and be easy to clean. They would look like deflated versions of stylish dresses of the time but without any of the frills. Since they worked all day were nobody would really see their dresses, they saved their money for a nice party dress for special occasions. Wrap dresses were very popular for working girls as well as a dress with buttons down the center. Although the dresses were simple, the prints on the fabric would be colorful and fun. Tropical, floral, and Hawaiian print were extremely popular. Many girls would make their own clothes from patterns, and those patterns are still around today. If you're feeling ambitious, making your own dress that's exactly what they had in the 1950's is very possible.
Accessories that they wore were very few. they might have a head band or a few bangles. Small gold crosses on thin chains were very common.
"At the Dance"
Party Dresses were working girl big chance to shine. Although they probably made these dresses themselves, they would have splurged on nice fabrics and beautiful details. Because the Sharks cultural music was fast paced and flashy, they preferred full skirts with colorful petticoats to swing and spin while dancing. Though the Shark girls day jobs were dull, their nightlife was fun, full of color, and overflowing with confidence. Please remember though that with high kicking and spinning, you should wear spanks the same color as the inside of your skirt for modesty.
Accessories would contrast with their dresses for a bigger impact. They would have large beaded necklaces, colorful bangles, and wide belts. Big round earrings or enamle hoops would often frame their face. And Shark girls always felt pretty with a bright flower in their hair.
"Ballet"
THIS COSTUME IS ONLY FOR THE GIRLS CHOREOGRAPHED IN THE BALLET
White/Pastel Dress needs to be ballet danceable. That means the skirts has to full and there must be at least straps. Sleeves are okay, as long as the girls can move their arms freely. The skirt should be between shin and knee length. The color should be white or a very light pastel and please avoid any pops of bright colors. The dresses are whimsical and appear in Maria's dream where everything is peaceful and heavenly. Please remember that the girls will need accompanying white spanks for modesty.
Hair and Make-up
She has really long natural hair. If you have thicker or coarser hair, this is a good tutorial. The alternate look that she does is preferable.
This is a great video. She does it as if she was doing it in the 50's. So you don't have to do the overnight pin curls. Just piece out and curl your hair and start the video at 9:16. it doesn't have to be exactly like this, but you can get the idea of the hair techniques. Plus, she has a ton of other videos! Please, practice this at home.
This is a good basic look. You could easily put this in a ponytail too.
Here's a makeup tutorial for the 50's for girls who have hooded eye lids.
If you do this one, don't do the white on your water line. I think it looks weird
