What NOT to Wear to an Audition
People have often asked me what to wear to an audition, but the answer is not so simple. I was told in middle and high school to wear a dress or slacks - something nice and borderline “business-like.” I then had a coach tell me to dress for the part. However, once I got to college, I was told that those clothes are all wrong, wear something you feel good in and look nice in. Now that I have been auditioning in the real world for a few years I have come to learn that there is no “right” thing to wear to an audition, but there are quite a few WRONG choices.
Unless specifically told to “dress to move,” do NOT wear athletic clothing, even if the leggings are nice…they aren’t nice enough.
Do NOT wear a skin-tight, super short dress or skirt, seriously. It is a good idea to dress to show your form somewhat, the auditors don’t need to see it all. You will give the wrong impression you dress to scantily and you never know how tall the stage will be, you don’t want to show too much.
DO NOT WEAR SHOES YOU CAN’T WALK IN. If you are not confident in heels, don’t wear them. If you just bought a pair of boots and you aren’t 100% sure you can move gracefully in them, do not wear them. It is always best to wear clothes and shoes that you are comfortable and confident in. You will make a much better impression in flats, moving with strength, than you will wearing stilettos and stumbling up the stairs to the stage.
Don’t wear something see-through. You may not realize that adorable blouse you just bought is sheer enough to see right through, but I promise, stage lights don’t hide anything. While not every audition will have stage lights on you, there is no guarantee you won’t have them! It’s better to make sure the material you plan to wear is entirely covering everything you want covered. This goes for men too - some beautiful men’s clothing can be more sheer than you think.
If it is punk/rock show, please don’t wear a floor length gown. If it is a show set in the 1600s, don’t wear ripped jeans and a t-shirt. While you don’t need to dress EXACTLY like the character you are going for, you should give some sort of inkling as to how you look in that style of clothing. For period pieces, a simple dress or long skirt will show how you move in that type of garment without you having to be in a full corset.
Personally, I tend to wear nice skinny jeans, boots or heels, and a nice, comfortable blouse to pretty much every audition. This way, I show what I look like and how I move, while still putting my best foot forward. For period pieces I wear either a pretty yellow dress I have or a blouse tucked into a long, flowy skirt. I am always open to new ideas on how to crush an audition - if you have any thoughts on what to wear, comment below!