1875 17 July 72/2 Costume plays are not much in vogue now, and in dramas dealing with life and society at the present date, the actors are understood to provide their own attire.
1929 D. L. Moore xi. 209 To a lover of accuracy the average ‘costume’ play..exasperates by its slovenliness.
2003 M. Gottfried ix. 198 He determined to avoid..the stigma of the costume play, a rarely successful genre.