How to Dress your Child for a Commercial Audition

One of the most common questions that casting directors get is how kids should dress for auditions. If you have a child who is breaking into an acting career and actively going on auditions, figuring out how to support that child in every way possible is super important. One of those ways is to help them decide what to wear. What they wear could actually have a huge impact on their success rate. From contributing to how they are perceived to contributing to how they feel inside, help your child increase their chances of booking that gig by choosing the right outfit. And how you decide is actually not as cut and dry as you think!

1) Avoid logos: Steer clear of blatantly branded clothing - no designer labels splashed across shirts, or recognizable symbols on hats, shoes, or pants!  

2) Let them wear what they feel good in: Allow your child to wear something they feel GREAT in! How they feel is honestly more important than how they look. If you put your child in something restrictive and itchy, they won’t be able to perform their best. If they feel confident in what they’re wearing, they’ll deliver a much better performance! If they have a favorite pair of overalls, a favorite dress, a favorite tee shirt and children’s leggings combo, a favorite hat or something like it - work with it and consider it for the audition! 

3) Dress Age-Appropriately: If your child is 10 or under, they should not be dressed or in anything that makes them look older. No makeup, no big jewelry and no heels or anything that looks more teenager or adult. If they are 15, dressing them to look younger should only be a strategic move if they are looking to land a role as an 11-13 year old or something that has to do with the role itself.  

4) Choose Bright Colors: Bright colors can help your child stand out. When a casting director has to sit through hundreds of kids’ audition tapes, if your child is the one wearing neon yellow or fuchsia, they will probably stick out in the casting director’s mind quicker than the kid who wore brown or pastel pink. Bright colors also help exude and encourage confidence, which will be a plus when it comes time to your kid’s audition. Rock a pair of cute jeans + a bright orange blouse or tee shirt, or a bright purple top + matching bottoms. 

5) Prints or Solids? Both can work, as long as the print isn’t too overpowering or distracting. Plaid and small florals can work, but big, splashy prints or busy patterns might not be the best choice.   

6) Consider Baby Blue: According to a Kids’ casting agency, baby blue is the color that casts the most often. Consider incorporating this into your kids’ looks and test out the theory for yourself!  

7) Choose What Works: If your child books something in a specific outfit, don’t be afraid to put them in the same outfit again for the next audition. If it worked, it might work again! Also, for callbacks, you actually SHOULD have them wear the same outfit again so the casting directors can keep a clear image of your child as they get to know them more.  

8) Avoid Black, White or Red: This is a general rule of thumb since these colors tend to make kids look either too serious or too washed out. Red tends to bleed on camera, so just avoid it.