Hair Spray Is Not Paint: A Hard-Learned Lesson in Wardrobe Emergency

I once learned the hard way that hair spray is absolutely not a suitable substitute for fabric paint, especially when your lead actor's costume experiences an 'unforeseen alteration' ten minutes before a crucial, close-up scene. The problem was a small, noticeable scuff on a period jacket, a dark navy wool that needed to look pristine. My immediate (and, in retrospect, terrible) thought was that a quick blast of black hair spray would camouflage it.