I had an audition this past weekend for a play. I was hoping to be considered for a wide range of roles: female roles, male roles, female disguised as male roles. I was trying to come up with inspiration for my outfit and kept coming back to the word chameleon. 

So, naturally, I wore camo. 

Here's how it all shook out:

THE EVENT: An audition! My first while fully committed to the experiment.

THE BROKEN RULE: Keep audition-wear neutral and non-distracting.

THE OUTFIT: Man, real talk, I felt pretty snazzy in this outfit. My inability to pose for photos really doesn't do it justice. I wore my favorite black dress (that I found on sale for $12!), black tights, those Supergas from the last post (I did try and clean them up...) and a camo jacket. I really like combining opposites in outfits- masculine with feminine, hard and soft, etc. and I was feeling jazzed that the play in question (Shakespeare's Twelfth Night) was practically inviting me to mix it up. I will concede that, yes, I did take the masculine/feminine idea pretty literally... but still. I had fun hopping around like a soldier ready for a cocktail party.

THE EXPERIENCE: When I'm nervous before an audition, I drink water. A LOT OF WATER. In this case, I downed a whole can of La Croix on my drive to the audition and when I arrived I was in great need of a restroom. The bathroom at this theater is a shared facility and the director had to go find the door code for me... so, perhaps not my best first impression. However, post-full-bladder, the outfit in the audition room worked well! I felt presentable (I was wearing a dress), I was able to move easily and without much noise (the hi-tops) and I wasn't cold and was ready to blend into whatever character I might be considered for (the camo)! I enjoyed it so much that afterwards I convinced Christian to go out for Mexican food. Sunday is Feast Day, after all. (More on Feast Day later!)

THE CONCLUSION: In the past, when I've wanted to be considered for a multitude of roles, or for a male role or just wanted to look nice but not too nice, I would have worn black cropped slacks and a chambray top. Totally presentable, but a bit of a snooze. This outfit had a lot more personality. It gave me more energy as I walked into the audition room and confidence to perform a monologue that I don't always feel 100% about. I can't say what the director thought, (after the must-pee-now debacle, I certainly wasn't going to ask her what she thought of my outfit) but I felt great - so great that I am actually looking forward to dressing for more auditions, and that's a big statement. Onwards and upwards, friends! Let's break some more rules!