Entertainment Performing Arts 5 Great Apps for Costume and Fashion Designers Print Getty/Hero Images Entertainment Singing Acting Musical Theater Ballet Dance Stand Up Comedy By Angela Mitchell Angela Mitchell Angela Mitchell is a writer, columnist, and book author who has promoted theatres, studios, and artists through her own PR firm since 1995. Learn about our Editorial Process Published on 02/21/18 Costume designers require a unique skill set that is a combination of technical know-how and artistic talent. Bringing that into the digital world is a snap and you will find a few apps to be very helpful. From designing flat sketches on any device to organizing your entire production, fashion students and professionals will find these useful tools to be fun and make the next design a little easier. 01 of 05 Fashion Design FlatSketch If you're designing women's clothing, you will find Fashion Design FlatSketch to be very effective. The app is simple, allowing you to create basic fashion sketches in minutes. The app includes a library of over 1,000 graphics to choose from, or you can draw your own details in the flat sketches. It even allows you to add small details like buttons, zippers, and belts, so nothing is overlooked. You can print out or export your final designs. This is a great app for any designer, pattern maker, or anyone who loves fashion. It's easy to use, free to download, and available on Android and iOS devices. 02 of 05 Ruler 2 A ruler is certainly among the most basic of tools you need. The absence of one can be catastrophic for designers frantically working (or shopping) on a deadline. Luckily, the Ruler 2 app ensures that a virtual ruler is always available with the simple tap or touch of a screen. You'll find many useful features in the app. It seamlessly converts from U.S. to metric measurements, tells you how to measure something larger than your device screen, and allows you to copy the measurements into other apps. Most importantly, it's very accurate. This one is definitely worth the price, though it is an iOS-only app. For an accurate (and free) Android app, check out Ruler by Xalpha Lab. 03 of 05 Wardrobe Journal Want to take notes quickly on who wore what and when? Wardrobe Journal is a useful little app that's meant for personal use by people wanting to save their wardrobe choices. However, it can also be a highly useful pick for costume designers and stage managers. The app can help you keep track of costumes, characters, and more. Simply snap a photo and catalog the details. You can even assign each to a different person, making searching for a specific scene or character fast and easy. It's a low-cost iOS app and the capability to stay this organized on set and everywhere you go is invaluable. 04 of 05 Pro.pose Do you want to turn your iPad into a sketchbook? The Pro.pose app is a fantastic way to do just that and it's a lot of fun. With this app, you can create fashion sketches and inspiration boards anywhere. It offers great tools for sketching, including a pencil, pen, marker, and charcoal. You can even create a mood board or share your work to see what others think. As a free iPad app, it's great for beginners in fashion. Pros in costume and fashion design will also find it useful as a quick and portable sketch tool. 05 of 05 DH Costume An app for the costume professional, DH Costume has everything you need to stay organized on the set. It allows you to sync scripts with costumes, changes, and a lot of related business tasks. The app is iOS only and it is definitely on the highest end of app pricing. However, you can preview it with limited capabilities by trying out DH Costume Lite before making the commitment. If you need to coordinate costumes with your entire department as well as directors and designers, it is a very valuable tool.