Giving new meaning to the phrase “dress for success,” here are the 2023 Orlando Sentinel honorees for best costume design, as selected by theater critic Matthew J. Palm.

Although it’s impossible for one person to see every local production, as the Orlando Sentinel’s theater critic, each year I see a broad spectrum of dramas, comedies and musicals. The individuals selected by me for this 2023 theatrical honor roll, presented here alphabetically, elevated the theatrical arts. Go to OrlandoSentinel.com/entertainment to see the honorees in other fields, and check back on Dec. 21 to learn the Critic’s Pick in this category.

Tay Anderson

‘Ruthless’ ♦ Winter Park Playhouse

Tay Anderson perfectly played into the campiness of “Ruthless,” with an eye for popping colors. She also demonstrated a keen eye for detail: The rhinestones on a teacher’s glasses, the perfect pastel belt and pale-blue headband for a 1950s-style housewife. The trailing scarf from a diva’s dramatic black-and-white ensemble, the touch of sparkle to an imperious critic’s royal purple. Not only were the outfits gorgeous, they added to the fun of the show — and smartly said something about the characters wearing them.

J. Marie Bailey

‘The Cocaine Play’ ♦ Renaissance Theatre

Working off a palette centered on the color white, J. Marie Bailey got the vibe just right. Her costumes for the show’s primary characters gave us the Miami feeling with pastels and the like. And for the devilish antagonist, blazing red and deadly black set her apart and drew the eye. Bailey was previously honored in 2021.

Kenisha Kelly

‘The Comedy of Errors’ ♦ Orlando Shakes

Kenisha Kelly added to the fun of New Orleans-set “The Comedy of Errors” with opulent and colorful costumes reflecting the sauciness of Mardi Gras. She scored with an effective spooky ensemble for the play’s conjurer, who was portrayed like something akin to a voodoo witch doctor. And she cleverly dressed twin servants as the clowns they were — with a subtle touch that let a keen-eyed audience member keep track of who was who. Kelly also was honored in 2022.

Daisy McCarthy Tucker

‘Lizzie’ ♦ Florida Theatrical Association

“Lizzie” tells the Victorian-era story of accused killer Lizzie Borden, set to a rock score, and Daisy McCarthy Tucker’s costume design neatly and stylishly complemented both angles to the production. The women wore floor-length Victorian gowns for the first act, even when rocking out — adding oomph to the idea of churning emotion stifled by restrictive times. And then those gowns transformed into outfits any rocker would be proud to wear — but still offering nods to the story’s time period.

Rebecca Turk

‘Make Way for Ducklings’ ♦ Orlando Family Stage

In a town where we can meet humans dressed in head-to-toe pants-less duck costumes (I’m looking at you, Donald), Rebecca Turk’s creations for “Make Way for Ducklings” were delightfully artful without ever been literal. Full of fun, the costumes embodied the characters’ personalities; you could almost see feathers even when there weren’t any. And her human character, a police officer, looked straight out of an old-school child’s picture book — where the story came from.

Denise Warner

‘Million Dollar Quartet’ ♦ Orlando Shakes

it might feel daunting to costume such well-known figures as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, but Denise Warner showed she was more than up to the task in Orlando Shakes’ handsome production of “Million Dollar Quartet.” The costumes reflected the characters’ disparate personalities and deftly matched the show’s part-story-part-performance vibe. A young Elvis looked dashing as ever in surprising pink, and even Cash had sartorial style in his basic black. This marks Warner’s fourth appearance on this honor roll.

Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Find entertainment news and reviews at orlandosentinel.com/entertainment.