Articles of Clothing Every Actor Must Have

If you’ve ever dipped your toes in the Toronto audition circuit, you know it is not for the faint of heart. With often less than 24 hours notice before your next audition, it is important to be able to embody a new character on the fly. In a given week you can go from playing a cop to a janitor to a flight attendant to a Russian billionaire attending a Black Tie affair. So how can you look the part with so little time? We’ve rounded up a list of a few clothing items every actor should have on hand through audition season

Collared Shirt
Every actor should own a clean pressed, fitted collared shirt. Men and women. This is a sleek, flattering way to frame your face and look sharp in any high-class role. Investment bankers, cops, James Bond, they all wear collars and they all look fly. Try to invest in a few different colored options based on your skin tone but some go-tos for us are white, blue (perfect for cop roles), and black to start off with. And don’t be afraid to peak a little collar out of a slim fitting sweater for those commercial auditions and Hallmark Christmas movies. Trust us.

Blazer
Men and women, you gotta have a sharp blazer. I can’t even begin to count the number of auditions out there that require a “sexy business” look. And for the record “sexy business” is just straight up business. Blazers are also just a flattering piece that be worn at any time of the year with anything. Jeans, pencil skirts, dress pants, you name it. So they are great investment pieces that won’t go out of style.

Tie
The necktie is still an integral part of men’s fashion industry so it goes without saying that it is important for male actors to have a good tie on hand and know how to tie it well.

Leather Jacket
One word: Cool. The leather jacket is a staple of the auditioning world because there is nothing cooler than a cool guy or girl in a cool jacket. Obviously this is not a piece to take to that Murdoch Mystery audition. But that cool indie film? Or that cool new Syfy show? This is a mandatory accessory. There’s even an option for those strict animal lovers out there- pleather!

A high wasted skirt (for the ladies)
High wasted skirts are not only in vogue at the moment, but they are also key when auditioning for those period dramas we all know and love. It’s always good to have a piece in your closet that calls back to another decade. They help change your posture and really get into a character from the past.

Keep in mind that having these clothes in your wardrobe is great not just for auditions, but for getting great photographs as well. The best headshots or promo photos are ones that capture your essence and allow casting and agents to see you in different lights. Wanna go out for the many (many!) procedural shows out there? A clean dress shirt, tie, and maybe a jacket will help you be seen as a doctor without having to put on smocks. Also, wearing the right stuff might give you that extra bit of confidence and comfort to get the best actor photos or self tapes you can get.