The Actors Wardrobe Guide
Essential tips for choosing the right wardrobe for every type of audition
Overview
The Actors Wardrobe Guide breaks down what to wear to commercial, theatrical, and voiceover auditions so you walk in looking the part without overdoing it. It covers color theory, silhouette choices, and the subtle signals that wardrobe sends to casting directors.
The guide addresses common mistakes actors make, such as wearing overly distracting patterns, logos, or costumes instead of suggesting the character. It emphasizes that the goal is to hint at the role rather than arrive in full costume.
How It Works
Sections are organized by audition type, including commercial, film and TV drama, comedy, and theatre callbacks. Each section includes photo examples and brand recommendations at various price points.
Written by working actors and casting professionals, this guide is available for free. It distills years of industry wisdom into practical, actionable advice.
Who Uses It
Every actor should read this before their first audition and revisit it periodically as their career evolves. A well-chosen wardrobe can give you an edge before you even deliver your first line. The guide also addresses seasonal wardrobe considerations and how to adapt your audition look for different times of the year without buying an entirely new set of clothes. Industry veterans share real anecdotes about wardrobe choices that helped or hurt their chances in the audition room.
Pricing & Plans
The Actors Wardrobe Guide is completely free with no paid tiers, subscriptions, or premium content locked behind a paywall. There are no upsells, affiliate links, or sponsored product placements embedded in the recommendations, which means the advice is genuinely impartial. Compared to hiring a personal stylist for audition wardrobe consultation, which typically costs $100 to $300 per session in Los Angeles or New York, this guide provides equivalent foundational knowledge at zero cost. The guide's brand recommendations span multiple price points from budget options under $30 to mid-range pieces under $100, accommodating actors at every financial stage. For actors who follow the guide's capsule wardrobe approach, the total investment to build a complete audition wardrobe ranges from approximately $150 to $500 depending on where you shop. This makes it one of the most cost-effective resources in an actor's toolkit for improving first impressions without financial strain.
Pros & Cons
What's Great
The guide's organization by audition type is its most practical feature, allowing you to quickly find relevant advice whether you are heading to a commercial callback, a dramatic film audition, or a theatre general. The photo examples for each audition type eliminate ambiguity and give you a concrete visual reference to work from when selecting your outfit. Advice from working casting directors carries genuine authority and provides insight into how wardrobe is actually evaluated in the room, not just how actors think it is evaluated. The color theory section is surprisingly detailed and explains how different colors read on camera versus in person, which many actors overlook entirely. Brand recommendations at multiple price points make the guide inclusive of actors at all budget levels rather than catering only to those who can afford premium clothing. The guide's emphasis on suggesting the character rather than costuming yourself is a nuance that many beginners miss and that can dramatically improve how you are perceived in auditions.
What Could Be Better
The guide's photo examples, while helpful, are not updated frequently enough to reflect rapidly changing fashion trends, which means some visual references may feel slightly dated. Wardrobe advice is somewhat generalized and may not account for the specific casting aesthetics of niche markets like commercial hosting, reality television, or new media content creation. The guide does not address body-type-specific recommendations in sufficient depth, and actors with non-standard proportions may need additional guidance beyond what is offered. Regional differences in audition culture between Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and other markets are not thoroughly explored. The guide assumes actors have access to physical retail stores and does not provide adequate guidance for online shopping, which is increasingly how many actors build their wardrobe. Some of the brand recommendations may not be available internationally, limiting the guide's usefulness for actors outside the United States.
Our Recommendation
We recommend The Actors Wardrobe Guide for every new actor as essential reading before their first professional audition, and for intermediate actors who want to refine their wardrobe strategy as they move into new casting categories. It is particularly valuable for actors transitioning from theatre to on-camera work, where wardrobe choices carry different implications and camera-friendly considerations apply. Experienced actors who already have a well-established audition wardrobe may find the advice too foundational, but even veterans can benefit from revisiting the color theory and category-specific sections. If you are an actor with a generous wardrobe budget and want personalized advice, consider hiring a stylist for a one-time consultation and using this guide as supplementary reading. For actors outside the United States, the underlying principles of suggesting rather than costuming a character are universal, even if specific brand recommendations may not apply. This guide pairs well with the How to Dress for Auditions Guide for comprehensive coverage of audition wardrobe strategy.
Pro Tips
Read the guide once cover to cover, then bookmark the sections most relevant to your primary casting type for quick reference before auditions. Invest in a full-length mirror with good lighting to evaluate your outfits at home before heading to the audition room, as how clothes look in store lighting can differ significantly from how they appear on camera. Build your capsule wardrobe gradually over two to three months rather than buying everything at once, as this lets you be more selective and take advantage of sales. Take a photo of yourself in each audition outfit and note what you wore to which audition so you can track patterns in callback rates and refine your choices over time. Ask trusted actor friends and your acting coach for honest feedback on your audition wardrobe, as an outside perspective often catches issues you cannot see yourself. Revisit the guide at least twice a year to check whether your wardrobe still aligns with your evolving type and the roles you are currently pursuing.