What to Wear? What to Wear? The Commercial Call-Back!

I was just about to get started on the follow-upfourth etc, etc.
to What To Wear? What To Wear? and tellI subtly grabbed my cardigan off the bench and
everyone what I've been told to wear to aeased into it just as my name was called to meet
call-back. But just before I did, I went to my verythe directors and prayed they wouldn't notice my
own callback and and had a bomb dropped on me.t-shirts repeat-performance...
Well... That's a tad more credit than the situationThe point of this posting is to help you understand
deserves. But... What's an acting blog without awhat to wear to your callback. I have been told
little drama, right? (yuck - barf-bags are in theagain, and again, to wear the same thing. But,
pocket of the seat-back in front of you).obviously, there are other schools of thought.
One of the Casting Directors was hanging out inWear the same thing? Wear something different?
the hallway with us actor-folk as we waitedI think the key from today's experience is that its
patiently to be brought into the audition. One ofmostly important that you look like the same
said actors waiting made an embarrassedperson who was at the original audition. The
comment about how he hadn't realized that he'ddirectors and producers called you back because
worn the same thing to the first audition. Now, Iof how you looked and performed in the first
was just about to console him and say with prideaudition, so it's in our best interest to give them
that I'd heard you were supposed to wear thethat same package again since they've literally
same outfit and that he was just fine when there-ordered it for another look. In addition, if some
CD said with a chuckle "Oh! You're like one ofdirectors have had an adverse reaction to seeing
those actors who thinks he's supposed to wearan actor in the same outfit there is a potential
the same thing to a callback because that's whatstrike against us before we even speak. And we
your agent or teacher told you..!!" followed byneed those directors to be thinking of nothing but
"Man! I've seen some directors actually laugh athow great we are - we need all the help we can
seeing an actor show up looking identical to theget in those stuffy little rooms. So, while I respect
first audition."the opinions of the folk who have told me
There I was, shifting uneasily with my fellowpreviously to do one thing, I am going to go with
actors and chuckling along as he continued to tellMr. CD: WEAR SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
us that it was a moronic notion. Oh. Did I mentionBut, let's also remember to look like the same
that I was dressed in the same outfit as my firstperson (I know that sounds weird, but we can
audition?look VERY different in a suit versus a T-shirt and
I cried out pitifully that I'd heard that same advice,jeans versus evening-wear). If you had your hair
to which he answered gently that it was merelyup before, it's probably a good idea to wear it up
important that I just look like the same personagain. If you were sporting some stubble, don't
who had auditioned before and that nothing beshave before the audition if possible.
drastically different. Don't change the hair tooThis topic is wide-open for interpretation and I'm
much; If you wore casual to the first audition, it'ssure there are plenty of other opinions out there,
probably wise to wear it to the second/thirdso I welcome feedback from the field!