Costume Workshop

This section of the wiki is all about the costumes used in the musical Cats, analysing how the authentic costumes used onstage are made, and with tutorials on how to replicate the effects for cosplay and regional/amateur productions.

Professional Costume Makers Credits - from various productions.

Every character has their standard "Chorus" or "Basic" costume, consisting of wig, unitard (catsuit), tail and shoes, plus some combination of collar, legwarmers, armwarmers or gloves. Beyond that, many Featured Costumes are worn over the basic costume such as the featured characters' costumes or ensemble dressing up as Pirates, Beetles, etc.

Every Costume Maker has their own unique techniques for making replica costumes, so the intent is that this wiki will come to include multiple tutorials from different makers.

Wigs

Authentic Yak hair wig construction

How To Make a Cats Wig

How to Wear a Cats Wig

Makeup

Designs and stage by stage references

How To Do Cats Makeup

Collars

How To Make Collars

Unitards

Authentic Unitard Construction

How To Make a Unitard

Unitard Dyes and Paints

Unitard Fluffies

Gloves

Gloves for Queens

Gloves for Toms

Arm/Leg Warmers

Stage-Worn Warmers

How To Knit Warmers

Tails

Authentic Tails

Wrapped Tails

Fluffy Tails

Super-Fluffy Tails

Shoes

Authentic Shoes

How To Paint Shoes

Underwear

Mic Belts - hiding possessions under costumes.

Knee Pads - Cats spend a lot of time crawling, protect your knees!

Featured Costumes

• Gumbie Cat House Coat
• Gumbie Cat Tap Outfit
• Mice Props and Beetles
• Rum Tum Tugger Mane
• Street Cat Tugger
• Grizabella
• Bustopher Jones
• Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer Song Costumes
• Old Deuteronomy
• Pekes and Pollicles Props
• Rumpus Cat
• Gus' Coat
• Growltiger
• Griddlebone
• Raffish Crew
• Siamese
• Skimbleshanks Waistcoat
• Macavity
• Macavity Rats
• Mistoffelees Song Costume