Actor in plays carrying a garment (8)
I believe the answer is:
raincoat
'garment' is the definition.
(raincoat is a kind of garment)
'actor in plays carrying a' is the wordplay.
'plays' indicates an anagram.
'carrying' indicates putting letters inside.
'actor'+'in'='actorin'
'actorin' anagrammed gives 'raincot'.
'raincot' going around 'a' is 'RAINCOAT'.
(Other definitions for raincoat that I've seen before include "Protective garment for Croatian" , "Mackintosh" , "Wet weather gear" , "Wet weather wear" , "Macintosh - with 22a" .)