10 Feb Audition Wardrobe Advice for Actors
We at 3-2-1- Acting Studio in Los Angeles prepare our acting students for auditions by, of course, teaching audition technique – while also offering practical tips, including audition wardrobe advice! In this video, you can see our owner and master acting teacher Ms. Mae Ross, advising some of her acting students regarding what to wear to auditions.
Here is Ms. Mae’s audition wardrobe advice:
Read the breakdown carefully for clues.
As soon as you receive the audition invitation, be sure to read the character breakdown carefully. What age is your character? If your character is older than you are, or younger than you are, you will need to modify your hair and wardrobe choices accordingly.
What personality traits did the casting director include in the breakdown? Is the character sophisticated? Brilliant? Edgy? Nerdy? Take notes!
Read the entire script (if available).
You can find more clues about your character’s appearance and demeanor by reading the whole script (if this is available to you). Pay attention to what other characters say about your character. Read the stage directions and actions to get a sense of how your character moves and thinks.
Visualize your character’s appearance.
Close your eyes, and imagine what your character looks like. If, as mentioned in the video, your character is a “goody two shoes” and “straight A student,” they might wear a very clean, pressed, button down shirt. Perhaps some glasses! And, as our student mentioned, maybe even braces.
Or perhaps your character is “edgy” and “cool.” You definitely don’t want to wear your pastel cardigan to this audition! What accessories might work for this character? Do you have a leather jacket that you could wear? Get as detailed as you can in your visualization.
Search your closet.
We never advise students to go on a shopping spree for an audition! Work with what you have. If, for example, you are auditioning to play a Starbucks barista, you do not need to go out and purchase a green apron! Perhaps you or a family member has a solid-colored apron. If not, as our student suggested in the video, you could sport a solid-colored button down shirt. If you are going to play a “busy mom,” notice that busy moms often wear very comfortable exercise clothing since they are very active all day long. You do not need to go and purchase a brand new outfit; look at what you have. Perhaps a colorful t-shirt with a long sleeve zip up jacket? Be the busy mom that has 1 minute to get dressed, and see what you can come up with!
Have fun!
Our biggest audition wardrobe advice tip: have fun! Enjoy the process of creating your character from the inside, out. We at 3-2-1 Acting Studios in Los Angeles cannot wait to see you in person or online in acting class. Good luck!
