My D and I saw some super cute audition outfits at LA Unifieds but I will say that I was shocked by the EXTREMELY short dresses that we saw! I’m sure the girls had dance/booty shorts on, but still, those dresses were too short. They were MT girls too, not acting. Forget the A-line, tights and low heels/flats, I think the new uniform is a crotch length dress and ankle boots. LOL
Signed,
Mrs. Prudey McPrude
@MTMommma , “Mrs. Prudey McPrude” Thank you so much for making me laugh this morning!!! I am pretty prudish when it comes to what my D wears, especially to auditions, so I know where you are coming from.
I wonder how that works out for them? Several regular posters on CC are the auditors in these scenarios. All of them have said, “do not dress in a manor that shows us what we’d rather not see”.
Styles come and go, but the message has to be dress to be yourself. So happy the world is becoming less judgmental. We need that.
@MTMommma - “Mrs. Prudey McPrude” just made me snort into my coffee! For Chicago, my daughter chose a mid-calf length “twirly” dress that makes her feel great. I’m just fine with that and hope she doesn’t look like an old school marm next to some of the short dresses. :))
My D had three dresses - 1: swingy turtleneck, 2: conservative lacy high collar, bow, above-knee-length (this one I bought for her, without her seeing or trying it on first), and 3: what I affectionately called her “boobie” dress - somewhat cleavage-baring and rather short (though she did wear dance tights and booties for all 3). She felt comfortable in all options, but I will say that she is generally comfortable showing skin.
She was in charge of deciding what to wear to all her auditions. For some schools she chose the turtleneck as it was most casual, for some she chose the conservative as she felt it was a fit for their culture/expectations, and for some she went for the more risqué option because she felt that was a fit for them. So a calculated risk, but I agree a risk nonetheless. Too boring? Too sexy? Too shapeless? Who knows…
So far, one acceptance, in the conservative dress. I’ll let you know how the rest of the experiment goes… 
Yes, no judgement on the girls- they looked totally cute (I just would have put some tights on them!). I was just surprised. Those short dresses are in style, but these were seriously short. It wasn’t just LA either- saw the same at Texas State and Arizona State. West coast thing? Leaving for U Mich & Baldwin Wallace tomorrow, maybe the cold will make a difference. Perhaps the girls themselves will change the “uniform” and the MTs will start dressing more like the actors, who had some serious style going on. That’s how it should be.
TBH I have seen more short dresses then not. Also at one school tons of girls were wearing sleeveless dresses ( which is fine but chilly!) with some cleavage also. I’m no prude but I feel like you have to present yourself without distractions and cleavage and short skirts are a distraction. Like you don’t want someone making a judgement on you , because even though they shouldn’t , I’m sure someone would at some point. Like you don’t need something else going against you when the odds are so bad to begin with!
There were a ton of sleeveless dresses my D’s year- and it was a COLD winter. The day she was at CMU it was -4 (BEFORE windchill!) and those girls had goosebumps the size of ping pong balls! I would absolutely say dress for the climate you are auditioning in- no one does their best work with their teeth chattering!!!
My pet peeve is girls who dress to “flaunt what they’ve got”, but don’t have the self-confidence to actually stand tall and “flaunt” it. I find myself a bit annoyed with the girl in “look-at-me” attire, but standing with shoulders hunched forward, perhaps hair hanging over her face, looking like she’d rather be smaller than she is. It’s MY prejudice, I know - But jeez, Girl, if you’ve got it, “let it shine!”. Even if you don’t got it, “act” as if you did and let it shine anyway. Not sure how you can sing well with your shoulders just about meeting under your chin anyway.
As a middle-aged woman and mother of boys, I waffle sometimes between surprise at the short dresses/revealing necklines and nostalgia for the days when I would have had the confidence to wear something like that, lol.
As someone who sits behind the table, I am also kind of prudish on the short dresses. They are already going to be showing their figure in their dance call (dressing for that is a whole other conversation). No need to go out of the way to show it in the audition room. I have never sat behind the audition table with anyone who has voted against a student because of their outfit. I will say we remember you by your outfit though. We had a tall young lady come in wearing a pair of blue sailor pants, a white blouse, and heels. It was an awesome outfit for her and she still sticks in my mind because she nailed her look and her audition. I also have a few that I remember who did not nail their outfit and made some very strange choices. But a few of them were really talented and their outfit is not going to be a factor when we make our final decision. They will however receive coaching on how to dress as soon as they get here I will say do not wear shoes you can’t walk in, no need for heels over 2.5", and if the outfit inhibits your ability to act or to sit in a chair for an interview, find something else to wear.
~VT
What we struggled with was my D’s long legs - a dress that wouldn’t be short on a shorter girl was short on her. She wore bootie shorts, and wore what made her comfortable. She did not wear tights, and the dress was cap sleeved. She had some goosebump issues - but she had a successful season… and she loved what she wore… and that’s what is important.
This has been going on for a long time. When my oldest auditioned 10 years ago I remember a parade of girls dressed in very short skirts (a fraction below their underwear line) and high 3 inch heels. @kategrizz, not talking about the sort of outfit your D probably wore. The outfits I’m talking about were incredibly short, with high heels, bare legs, and boobs emphasized, cleavage revealed.
Some couldn’t walk well, and the short-short skirts impede your freedom of movement. I’m no prude – I look at this professionally. There is no way this outfit is a) going to improve your audition and b) going to look professional in any way. I’m a girl; I have daughters. The only reason to wear such an outfit is because the poor girl has this idea she might influence the auditors by being sexy. Just no.