Dressing strategy for female singer/ actors
Your appearance is a vital part of what you are presenting at an audition. When choosing what to wear, your aim should be to look so right for a particular role, that those in a position to hire you will be pulling for you to come through in the other aspects of your audition. What you don’t want to do, is make a mistake and be in a position to have to overcome a clothing/hair/make up mistake in order to win the panel over during the audition. Your appearance is your first impression. Remember, they will SEE YOU walk in before you introduce yourself and before they experience your audition performance.
A quick search of this subject will bring up many contrasting points of views concerning what to wear to an audition. My years on both sides of the audition table have caused me to form my own opinions on the subject, and I will share them with you. My advice to aspiring singing actors is to read my points as well as the reasons behind them, along with everything else you can find on the subject and then form your own strategy. These points are intended for singers and actors and not meant for dancing auditions. The aim is to wear something that BOTH makes you feel beautiful and also something that actually looks good on you.
An audition is a show business job interview. So what you wear should be professional and also “show business". A boring conservative office look will not get you noticed. Evening performance dress makes it look as if your audition is a special occasion. If you are a pro, you do this every day; so don’t go too fancy especially in NYC.
If you are auditioning for a specific part, wear something that suggests how you would look in that role. Don’t wear something that SCREAMS how you would look in that role. The people for whom you are auditioning might not have the imagination to picture you in the role, so help them to see it without being too literal. Just a suggestion is enough.
Wear something that looks good on you, it does not have to be the latest fashion. Ignore what the magazines are promoting for this year and, make sure the length is right for you. Make sure the color of your tights or stockings flatter your legs. Apply this principle to your choice for the cut and color of your clothes. They must flatter you.
Some people say that ladies should not show cleavage, I think a bit can look nice, too much is distracting and may work against you if the person on the other side of the table does not want to see this. There are lots of people that do not want to see it, and frankly some who do! So, it is a risk, therefore, think strategically about the role you desire and the specific people who are hearing you.
I don’t like to see a short skirt above the knee unless you are a dancer, you are going to move during your song, and your legs are arguably, your BEST feature. If you choose to wear a short skirt and you are up on a high stage your undergarments may come into view, make sure they cover you, and are opaque. If you have really great legs, a short skirt can work. I would say this is extremely rare for singers and also rare for actors. If you don’t know whether you have incredibly great legs, ask a professional dancer, whether they would mistake you for a fellow dancer if they saw your legs.
So we already covered that we should not be able to look up your dress and see your panties. We should also not see them coming out at the top of your pants/ skirt. We should also NEVER see any part of your bra. Not the straps. Not the back. NO part of your bra should EVER be visible at an audition. Today there are versatile bras that change their design, get one andb use it. If you are small enough maybe you do not need a bra, BUT PROCEED IN THIS DIRECTION WITH CAUTION. Being braless only works for a small minority, and ONLY when they are wearing the right (not shear and supportive) top/ dress. If you need good support, and your bra does not work with your dress, find a dress that covers your bra.
What does showing your underwear/bra say? It says I am sloppy and I don’t care about details. It says I won’t put in effort. It says to the person hiring you that you might embarrass them with various other aspects of your performance, because a person who will present themselves with their undergarments showing already does not care about one vital element of presentation.
You will read a lot of conflicting opinions on shoes. Here is my two cents. You must be able to walk well in them. Flip-flops and athletic shoes offend people. Some people say you must wear heels, but obviously, if you are tall woman and they have already cast a “not so tall” leading man, heels would be a strategic error. If you walk poorly in heels or have back problems, wear a nice flat. The best choice for most women, is a small heel, they make your legs look nice, and you look elongated which can be slimming. If you walk nicely in very high heels and they are your thing, then wear them! Note though, that they are not always slimming. A big woman with thick legs wearing a very delicate high heel looks “off balance” and the shoe calls attention to size issues. Always think, “Balance”.
Wear a color that flatters you. If you don’t know what those colors are, find out. If you will be on stage and you know the color of the curtain, contrast that. Nothing looks worse than wearing a slightly different shade of red and clashing with a red curtain. Black against a black curtain disappears. Disappearing is not usually a good strategy at an audition
Wear some flattering make up to enhance your features. Blush and lipstick keep you from looking washed out under the lights and eye make up helps make your eyes “pop”. Wear more makeup than you would wear in the street and less than you wear in a show.
The consensus regarding hair is to get it off of your face. Make sure your hairstyle does not cast shadows that conceal your eyes. It should be both flattering and groomed.
One last bit of advice, if you are lucky enough to get a call back WEAR THE SAME CLOTHES and hairstyle! If the wavy-haired brunette in the red dress was right for the part, don’t be the slick-haired brunette in black at the call back!
