Graduates of respected costume designing schools go on to work on the local, national and public stage. With respect to theaters, these designers can expect to become costume artisans for venues willing to hire them. Costume designers often teach courses in theaters across the world.
At the inception of pre-production, theater costume designers are there. They see how characters interact with one another on the stage, and how that should be reflected in their dress. They research and immerse themselves into the plot, imagining what a given theatrical world would look like. Producers often hire costume designers long before a theater's actors are chosen.
Costume artisans do not just create static outfits that stay the same throughout the play. Designers often play with color schemes to compliment the scene and characters' emotional journeys. In theater, where everything is larger than life and over-acting is the standard, it's quite easy to play with costumes without breaking the production's continuity.
Wardrobe assistants, normally students and "techies," work with designers to enact costumes the way they are intended. These assistants have to ensure that, time and time again, things run according to the designer's specifications. Quick or challenging costume changes are planned out by the assistants to a tee.