When we meet a character in a performance, the implicit understanding is that they have existed until the point where we join their journey and will continue existing after we leave them. Their clothing tells a hi/story to the audience before we hear them speak and before any action takes place. As a Costume Designer and Lecturer, my awareness of costuming as an anthropological practice has led me to explore these principles using myself as the subject of scrutiny. For one year I am logging every clothing combination I go through along with memories, prices, locations and dates, etc. in order to explore the sub/conscious clothing decisions I make and the stories, embedded in my clothes, that I am surrounded by every day. What does my wardrobe mean to me inwardly and reveal to my audience outwardly, and how does this ‘me-search’ extend my artistic practice?

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In 2013-14 a change in assessment criteria percentage weightings on the BA Stage Management and Technical Theatre course at East 15 Acting School was implemented -a course taught mainly through authentic learning processes. This change, coupled with the increase in emphasis on reflective processes in Higher Education in general, highlighted that students not only on this course but also more widely, need to be able to articulate their learning more rigorously than before through more comprehensively written selfevaluations. Through a discussion of critical thinking and reflection and instinctively applying Art and Design pedagogies to teaching on what is traditionally considered to be a vocational course, this paper charts an experimental case study following students on the Costume Pathway, hoping to improve their ability in this area. The aim was to develop the self-awareness, analytical and reflective thinking involved in evaluating personal working practices to a high standard in order to improve the written communication thereof. This paper is also therefore a reflection on how a thorough understanding from educators of what self-evaluation demands of students can enrich student learning experiences and develop transferable skills to produce industry-ready and life-ready graduates. Reflection CostumeMain Text: