Embroidery on Film: Costumes, Props & Production Details
Updated: Sep 7
When most people think about embroidery, they probably picture names, monograms or a logo on a shirt. Working here in Los Angeles, we also get to see another side of it: embroidery made for film, television and production work.
From our Sherman Oaks shop, we have worked with costume designers, stylists and production teams on pieces that end up on screen—from uniform patches and wardrobe details to embroidered props and production gifts. Sometimes the embroidery is obvious. Other times, it is one of those small details you may not notice until you look closely.
Small Embroidered Details Can Say a Lot About a Character
Costume embroidery does not always need to be large. It might be a name stitched onto a jacket, a team crest on a uniform or a monogram on something a character owns. Small details like these can help make a wardrobe piece feel like it belongs to that character and that world.
Uniform patches are a good example. A team name, location, department or organization can immediately tell the audience something about who the character is connected to.
Patches can also be used more quietly. A jacket covered in patches, for example, can tell you something about a character’s interests, background or personality without anyone having to explain it out loud. Next time you see one on screen, take a closer look at what is actually stitched onto it.
Embroidery Is Not Limited to Costumes
The same idea carries into commercials, music videos and live performances. A performer might wear a custom embroidered piece, while a commercial may need uniforms or branded apparel that looks natural on camera.
Embroidery can also show up away from the actor. Props and set pieces sometimes need custom branding or personalization to make the setting feel believable.
Depending on the production, that might mean embroidered towels, robes, pillows or another item that belongs in the scene. A small name, logo or message can help an otherwise ordinary object feel specific to the story.
Wrap Gifts for Cast and Crew
Embroidery also shows up after filming is finished. Productions sometimes create wrap gifts for cast and crew—things like jackets, shirts, patches or other custom pieces connected to the project.
A show logo, season number, department name or year can turn a simple garment into something tied to the production people worked on together. See more examples of our custom wrap gifts for film and TV productions.
Some Film & TV Projects We’ve Worked On
Being in Sherman Oaks puts us close to a lot of Los Angeles production work, and over the years we have been able to help costume, wardrobe and production teams with a wide range of embroidered pieces.
A League of Their Own
For Amazon’s A League of Their Own, we worked on the embroidered team patches used with the women’s baseball uniforms. It is a good example of embroidery doing exactly what we talked about earlier: helping a fictional team look and feel like a real one on screen.
See more of our custom patches for television productions.
The Inspiration4 Super Bowl Campaign
Another memorable project was the embroidered Inspiration4 patch connected to the SpaceX Super Bowl campaign. Seeing a piece produced through our shop appear in a major commercial was a very different kind of production experience.
Read more about the Inspiration4 patch project.
Hollywood Embroidery From Our Sherman Oaks Shop
Film and television embroidery can be as simple as a name on a costume or as specific as a custom patch created for one production. That variety is part of what makes this kind of work interesting for us.
If you are a costume designer, stylist, wardrobe department or production team working on a project in Los Angeles, you can send us your artwork and details or bring the project into our Sherman Oaks shop. We can look at what you need and figure out the best way to approach the embroidery.
See our custom embroidery work for Hollywood films and productions.
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