What is a costume? Anything worn on stage by an actor. That's the very first lecture my costuming students hear. But, in terms of someone's life, that's clearly not the case. We are almost always wearing a "costume" whether it's the carefully chosen wardrobe you wear to work, the special outfit you're wearing for date night, or the "uniforms" that accompany life events like sports, dances, graduations, weddings, and holidays. Here are some of my costumed life events.