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The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » The clothes we wear » » Do mentalists always wear black? (0 Likes) Printer Friendly Version

The Amazing Pog
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A trite question, perhaps, but one I'm genuinely interested in. Mentalists, by and large, seem to always wear dark, nice suits. Are there many who don't (not including readers/parlour stuff - just stage shows)?

Does it help the mentalist image?
'One of the safest ways to make a good performance is to have tricks which work so easily, that mechanics can be forgotten and every attention devoted to presentation' - Corinda
Mindpro
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Why do magicians all wear top hats and tails? They don't you are generalizing obviously.
mastermindreader
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We don't. It's a stereotype.
Mindpro
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That's right, I believe Bob wears a white rhinestoned jumpsuit and cape with shinny white boots, ala The King!
The Amazing Pog
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Yes, very much a stereotype. But stereotypes get started somewhere, and may possibly have some grounding in truth. I ask because when I see mentalists on video/YouTube/TV/ live most ( and I have only limited exposure to a few) wear dark suits - often black. I wondered if there was a performance reason ( makes one look slim), or a character reason (conveys seriousness and mystery) or a practical reason (hides things).
'One of the safest ways to make a good performance is to have tricks which work so easily, that mechanics can be forgotten and every attention devoted to presentation' - Corinda
mastermindreader
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I imagine some wear black simply for the dramatic effect, while many choose what they wear based on the background, lighting and stage setting. (Black, for example, is NOT a good idea if you are working in front of black curtains such as are common in many comedy type clubs. Makes you look like a floating head.)

And, yes, some may find that dark colors minimize beer guts, etc. Smile

Many dress casually in a sport jacket, tie-less or with a turtleneck or t-shirt, with khaki slacks, etc.


Mindpro is close- no rhinestones or cape, but I used to work in all white- white suit, white shirt, white tie, belt and shoes. It looked great but I had to be really careful about smoking or having a cup of coffee before taking the stage!
The Amazing Pog
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I love the idea of a show being presented by just a floating head!
'One of the safest ways to make a good performance is to have tricks which work so easily, that mechanics can be forgotten and every attention devoted to presentation' - Corinda
mastermindreader
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Quote:
On 2013-04-22 15:05, The Amazing Pog wrote:
I love the idea of a show being presented by just a floating head!


Me too, actually. In fact, the opening sequence of my DVD "The Black Box" is just my head floating around and talking before it explodes. Smile
The Amazing Pog
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Sort of like a hallucinagenic mash-up between the Cheshire Cat and Scanners ... How fantabulous!
'One of the safest ways to make a good performance is to have tricks which work so easily, that mechanics can be forgotten and every attention devoted to presentation' - Corinda
cablerock
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I was reading this today and thought it would apply to magic for sure. I'd like to read more about this, as it is pretty brief.

http://www.imagoimage.com/2007/09/18/inf......chology/
The Amazing Pog
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Makes some sense to me, nice article find. I'm sure performers must carefully consider why they wear what they wear, and that includes the choice of colour ( and suit)
'One of the safest ways to make a good performance is to have tricks which work so easily, that mechanics can be forgotten and every attention devoted to presentation' - Corinda
TonyB2009
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I wear white suit, white waistcoat, white shirt for my mentalist performances. But I do not go to the extreme of white shoes. I wear one red shoe, one green (seriously).

I often wear a black suit for the hypnosis, with a purple or pink frilly shirt. But as Bob says, black can make you invisible, which is not a good look for a performer.

I used to think black suit, black shirt, and bright tie looked good, until I saw a politician on the hustings wearing that. He looked a total gobshite, which cured me of going for that look.
Moderncelt
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I tend to wear either a purple or blue dress shirt, lighter colored tie, darker waist coat and grey slacks. I only did the all black in my "goth" stage in my early 20s...almost half a life ago.
ThatsJustWrong!
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I tend to dress on a color palette as white is never my friend. For corporate work, I wear a charcoal grey suite with a lighter grey shirt of a navy pinstripe with a royal blue shirt. I want to be recognizeble and approachable by clients, trade show attendees, etc without being totally out of place. For parties and nightclub shows, I tend to be a member of the all black club with the exception of the tnifoil hat and, frequently, padded restraints I am taken off stage in. For my university work,it's the tweed sportscoats and Oxford shirts for my classroom presentations.

So maybe I don't actually wear black all the time.

My Bizarre programs are another matter though it's probably out of scope for this conversation. For the record, I prefer slightly out of period or outright Victorian suits or, occasionally, clerical wear (I'm a Bishop after all). I used to open my full evening spirit/seance program in full Victorian complete with cape and tophat, and the words. "They say that clothing makes the man. It's not true. Man is actually made of bone and muscle and sinew and blood, oh so much blood. And spirit of course. Tonight we'll focus our attentions on those last two."
Joe Leo

All entertainers can benefit from some help from an experienced stage director. How about you?

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magic4545
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Hell, you're speaking with the dead, why not?
chmara
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I wear black for two reasons -- 1. It highlights the bizarre jewelry I wear. 2. I am overweight and can sort of fade into my background.
Gregg (C. H. Mara) Chmara

Commercial Operations, LLC

Tucson, AZ



C. H. Mara Illusion & Psychic Entertainments
landmark
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Weight is not necessarily a hindrance for a performer. See for example, Orson Welles and Raymond Burr. With a well-thought out character it can add authority.

I remember my acting teacher in college, somewhat overweight himself, saying to a student actor, "John, stop trying to hide yourself--you're a mountain on that stage, let the audience feel it!"
Mortimer Graves
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I tend to favor a grey sport coat, but not too light. I prefer something in the vicinity of charcoal grey, but a little bit lighter than that.

It's dressy enough, not too dark, and wears well over time. Both black and white have major disadvantages, especially if you have a cat. I have a cat. Even keeping my coats on hangers in the closet, cat hair still manages to get on them sometimes.

As far as shirts go, I used to do the black dress shirt thing with a tie that pops visually, but now I favor a mid-tone purple, with no tie. I feel like if I look too formal I'll be perceived as uptight, and I don't want that.

That and I simply got tired of tying double Windsors. It just gets old after a while. I'll do a bow tie now and then, but only if I think the occasion calls for it.

Slacks, I tend to go dark. Most people don't look at my legs much, anyway (unless they're just weird that way, in which case I can't really stop them). I want their focus on my upper body. If I think there's an issue with the appearing cat hair, it's all made better by using a lint roller. I keep one in my case.

I tend to keep the jewelry to a minimum, usually only wearing a silver ring and a Baphomet necklace (the latter actually stays inside my shirt unless I'm using it for an effect, because members of a certain religion might find it incredibly offensive if they saw it and I'm polite that way), and for nicer occasions I wear a visible pocket watch.

I used to do the all-black thing, until a friend mentioned that I needed to dress distinctively. "You don't just want to be another guy wearing black" is what he said, and it snapped me out of that. Costuming is important, even if nobody knows you're wearing a costume.
'Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.

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...and if we rub each other the wrong way, let's try going in another direction. - Pokey the Porcupine
ddamen
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I understand why mentalists often lean towards black. It has a classic look of gravitas
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