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WDavis Inner circle 1276 Posts |
I touched upon this in the four pillar project, but felt it worthy of writing about on its own.
there is saying 'what the magician spends on props the mentalist spends on appearance' appearance can make or break you, and this new write up is free for you all. the only requirement is you apply these lessons. the book covers: the meanings of colors worn how to know what knot to use for what collar type dress shoes what the different types subtley convey cuff links dress shirts basically, this is a free guide on dressing the professional. how to pick the right suits, shirts, shoes, and ties for your body and properly wear it. for those asking where my experience with this material comes from. it was learned as I climbed up the corporate ladder in the finance world and dealt with C-level execs of fortune 500 companies. this will be completed by the end of the week. Walter |
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Dompa Loyal user Germany 249 Posts |
Great to see that you will give us again insights into your huge amount of knowledge. The pillars which are released so far are a great read and I can recommend everyone to take a look at them!
Walter investes lot of time to put them out. Hope to be still on your list to recieve the new release... |
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WDavis Inner circle 1276 Posts |
Soon the third pillar will be released,
this has been a busy time I recently returned home and am headed off again, this time to Colombia. |
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Deano88 Veteran user Lincolnshire UK 377 Posts |
For me dress and appearance is a personal thing , that can convey the performers personality, this is like going back to the stereotype of magicians in top hat and tails.
Dean |
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WDavis Inner circle 1276 Posts |
Dean,
I think you misunderstand my interntion. it is NOT to tell you how to dress, but to teach you how to wear your suit. the subtleties of dress. most men have never learned this. as a performer your appearance is an integral part of your show. poorly dressed implies a lack of refinement, preparation, or care of the performer, no matter how refined the act if you dress shoddily, your work will suffer. would you go to a job interview unshaved and hair a mess? no you wouldn't nor am I saying and go out and buy $5000 suits, buy what you can afford but make sure your appearance is of a polished professional. |
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Anthony Jacquin Inner circle UK 2220 Posts |
Dress is a personal thing no doubt. However you got my ears pricked up WDavis. At a recent lecture from Paul Vigil, he expressed similar sentiments to you. Essentially if you want to work at the best Casino's in Vegas you need to dress like a high roller. He is not the first to express the idea of dressing like those you want to be employed by. However his encouragement to pay attention to the details, know HOW to dress, not just buy an expensive suit parallels yours.
Anthony
Anthony Jacquin
Reality is Plastic! The Art of Impromptu Hypnosis Updated for 2016 Now on Kindle and Audible! |
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mindpunisher Inner circle 6132 Posts |
I absolutetly hate wearing suits. I would turn up for meetings in a dress jacket and jeans for training projects. I did get some of them. But I know deep down it did hurt me by not dressing like a highly successful business man. Although I hate suits there is something about them ( good ones that is that suit you ) that demands instant respect.
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Psychological Mind Reading Illusionist Regular user 151 Posts |
There's an excellent book I own called the Style Bible, and it is a book every gentleman should own.
- Johnny |
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Deano88 Veteran user Lincolnshire UK 377 Posts |
I love wearing a suit and that fits my style anyway, but iv seen people with t shirt and jeans , in fact at a national tv recording a few weeks ago, it fit his style and it worked, but if he was to go for an interview for a gig or performance iam sure he would dress appropriately but that particular dress fits his performance. If I do a student open mic night I myt wear jeans with my suit jacket and shirt, but I wouldn't do that for a corporate gig.
Dean |
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Jim-Callahan V.I.P. 5018 Posts |
I have been appalled for years by how mentalists, magicians, hypnotists, dress and
present themselves personally and professionally. Last Friday was the first time ever that I wore jeans to an event. But it was an upscale extremely casual outdoor rehearsal dinner at an exclusive resort. I wore a $160 light aqua blue, fitted Italian, linen shirt, with a bit of pleating on the front and a casual dark linen vest with the jeans. And was better dressed for a casual event than most of those in attendance. (But looked like I was worth the cash they were paying for the hour). Kills me when I see guys showing up to work an event in their performance cloths. Looks like they could not get their mom to iron their cloths. I look forward to Walters information. We can all do better myself included. Jim
“I can make Satan’s devils dance like fine gentlemen across the stage of reality”.
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Dick Christian Inner circle Northern Virginia (Metro DC) 2619 Posts |
I am appalled by the attire and grooming (or lack thereof) that seems increasingly commonplace in videos of magicians and mentalists performing and or demoing effects on YouTube and elsewhere. One would certainly be out of place doing street magic in a suit and tie, but when/why did it become appropriate to be seen -- let alone perform -- in public looking like a bum (i.e., unshaven*, hair not combed, ill-fitting slacks/jeans, baseball cap on backwards, etc., etc.) I would assume that anyone who looked like that and was approaching me was looking for a handout and I'd be inclined to ignore him.
*BTW, I have nothing against neatly trimmed facial hair (e.g., beard and or mustache), but looking like you just couldn't be bothered shaving for 3-4 days sends only one message . . . SLOB! When performing for "high end" -- i.e., corporate, association, society, etc. -- clientele it is not just important, but essential, that one's appearance convey a professional image. If you never learned to be comfortable in a suit and tie, it's high time you did.
Dick Christian
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mindpunisher Inner circle 6132 Posts |
Casual dress can work for some performers it really depends on where your performing and your persona. High end corporates defintely need to look like the "business". When I did stage shows I did them in venues for crowds that go to see bands. I never wore a suit.
When going to corporate meetings I did wear jeans a few times. I still got some of the jobs but I ended up reluctantly wearing suits. However in the actual training I was usually casual because it suited the training to be casual. I would always wear suits to anything dealing with corporates. |
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IAIN Eternal Order england 18807 Posts |
May I still please wear, on the right occassion, my vintage 60s peacock green and white cravat? I have a cravat pin too...
sounds good walter - I do enjoy how your brain works...
I've asked to be banned
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Jim-Callahan V.I.P. 5018 Posts |
I agree that dress can be dependent on venue.
(As per my example above). But even then there is a latitude of good to bad. And sometimes bad can get you more than good if you are working that edge. I also think that several lines of demarcation exist and those are if one is a pro-worker, casual performer, artist, Entertainer, etc. You must cultivate an image that is consistent . But one must develop a character (Personal & Public) to do so in my opinion. Mick Ayres, and I were speaking of this not long ago and I said if only some of the people who are working pro’s and semi-pro’s would change their image and attire just a bit they could pull down at least 20% more cash than they do now. I know one guy who should be nationally known but it will not happen because his persona and style needs a bit of tweaking. Style goes hand in hand with persona and character. Jim
“I can make Satan’s devils dance like fine gentlemen across the stage of reality”.
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PaulPacific Special user Yes, I used my toes to type all of my 907 Posts |
No shirt? No shoes?
...no problem
Blessings on thee, little man,
barefoot boy with cheeks of tan... Outward sunshine; inward joy, Blessings on thee, barefoot boy! :-D |
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edh Inner circle 4698 Posts |
Jim, about this fellow that you believe should be nationally known. Couldn't you offer him some friendly advice as to how he might tweak his personna and style?
Magic is a vanishing art.
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Ben Harris V.I.P. The Land Down Under 2126 Posts |
It's all good common sense. Problem is, the "common" has been lost somewhere along the line.
Versace all the way for me! Benny
+Inventor of the world famous Floating Match+
+Author: Machinations (Vanishing Inc, 2020)+ EVERYTHING BEN HARRIS |
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sbays Inner circle Burbank, CA 1065 Posts |
It's all about rapport. You must remain relevant to whatever venue you are working. In the corporate arena, dealing with highly successful individuals, they want to do business with OTHER highly successful people. There is a pecking order in the corporate world. You must be perceived as one of them to be accepted.But then again I have seen large corporations hire Carrot Top .. Go figure! ;P You must know who you are, and what you are selling. After all, it's really about THEM right? This holds true for many other venues as well.
Example: If you show up to a college gig in a 5000.00 dollar suit, you run the risk of not being relevant, and in fact look like an outsider to them. This will lead to a lack of rapport, which means they can not relate to you. You are dead in the water when that happens, no matter how good you are. Adjust appropriately to your market. If you work multiple markets, before performer, you must become a chameleon. But then again ... what do I know?
"Opportunity may only knock once, but temptation leans on the doorbell."
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david12345 Special user 714 Posts |
There are many styles for many personalities but there is definitely a way to wear and arrange each one. Look at models on a runway - regardless of the style or genre or time period they always look perfect. They can wear a white T shirt and Blue Jeans better than most arrange a suit and tie.
Just recently a friend of mine went out and bought a skinny tie and for fitting dress shirt, very nice on both the shirt and tie. What he did not buy to go along with them were a new slim, 2 button, flat front, suit. He also kept his rubber soled chunky black dress shoes. These are the details that so many neglect. Very relevant topic Walter. |
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MentalistCreationLab Inner circle 1528 Posts |
I can not count the times I have seen a magician, mentalist or psychic medium show up to an event with stained cuffs and collar. The same goes for some lecturers as well. Although a few wrinkles when traveling around the country are somewhat the norm on many occasions.
When I am not in my show or gig season I will often have a full beard where non matching clothes and in general look like a person whom does not care. On the other hand when its show time the polish comes on. The only time that jeans can be worn or causal slacks is when working a carny psychic booth. Even then the finger nails are clean and neat and I am one very shaved person and extremely well groomed. I spoke with Walter just last night about this very topic on the phone and there are many occasions when we must look our best. The concept is even discussed a bit in the Encyclopedia of Mentalism by R. A. Nelson. "The mentalist must reach the top of the ladder in one leap. He cannot successfully project himself on unsuspecting audiences unless he has attained the knowledge and ability to first convince his audience that his demonstrations are real," that's even harder when you are not properly dressed for a gig. The whole concept has to do with appearances and the impressions that is left upon your audience. When preforming as in life most of the time you only get one shot at a good first impression. And I would never even think about preforming a "Ladies Only" unless I was looking 100%. Cheers |
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