Stephen Bleile

If you want to earn big bucks be prepared to dress like you have as much respect for the audience as you do for your music! 

No matter what you personal perspective is – ie:  you should be able to get your message across naked – the FACT of the matter is – perspective is everything and people will NOT respect you if they cannot accept you as part of their peer group – or, preferable as someone from a peer group a little higher up the ladder than them – dress is part of our culture – use it to your advantage, and use it to leverage your career upwards. There aren’t very many people who KNOW you well enough to respect you if they’ve never met you – they ARE going to judge you on your appearance first, and talent second. Nobody said life was fair – that’s just the way our society has created itself. 

I am not saying you need to undress to get noticed either – some artists display more of their body than they do of their talent, and yes, it works in the short run for some people. Is your message really going to be –“Hey – look at me, I’m half naked” – or is it going to be – “I’m an artist who pays attention to the message my visual appearance is sending – you can trust that my musical message is worth listening to – if I pay this much attention to what you see, imagine how much more attention and care I put into the music I create for you to listen to!” 

We don’t have to be rebels anymore to get noticed. Style is about choice, not about rebelling against someone else’s choices. Put on the best show of your life, and have a good time doing it, knowing you look great and you’re well prepared to express the idea musically that made you write those songs!

Remember, all eyes are on you, and you want to show up when they’re looking at you! 

Most people prefer to wear black on stage, very dramatic and cool if you’re Johnny Cash and that’s pretty much only his trademark. 

We don’t have the technology to make black look anything other than … boring and unimaginative – so….brighten up your upper body – go with a white, light or bright color– it will bring out your eyes and attract the visual attention of the audience to pay attention to YOU and your message. 

Ensure that your shoes are polished and speak to your personality – they are not a last minute item, they deserve attention and focus – and they must support you and be comfortable enough that you aren’t squirming on stage because your feet hurt or tripping because you can’t walk in your stiletto heels. 

Ensure that you can move in your clothing – that you can sit, stretch, stand tall and not worry about clothes binding, the girls falling out, something catching on your guitar strap, buttons coming undone by themselves, belts that clang when your guitar hits the buckle, dresses and skirts that ride up when you walk, accessories that get in your way and so on. You need to be able to move any which way without worrying about what you are exposing to your audience. People are here to listen to your message, and your visual presence ultimately affects that message. Let it play a complimentary role. 

No white socks and no short sleeved t-shirts unless you’re a 20something year old guy and totally ripped playing an outdoor concert (the t-shirt). No ripped up blue jeans that bag in the butt. In fact, steer away from t-shirts and if you’re wearing jeans, let them be beautiful to look at on you!. Ladies, watch the underwear lines and make sure your clothing fits – isn’t too small OR too big! 

Be well groomed, you want to be seen – so ladies, use makeup – be classy and bold, but not trashy or you will look old! Guys, use a little bit of eyeliner or mascara if you like, but not too much – makeup is meant to enhance our natural beauty and guys are beautiful too! You don’t (guys) want to look like you’re wearing makeup at all. If you need lessons, think of the fun the girls at the Department Store makeup counters will have with you… 

Please – everyone – style your hair, and make sure that your clothes are clean and are not wrinkled unless they are meant to be wrinkled.

Make sure you do a 360 degree check of your performance outfit – and make sure you say thank you when everyone tells you “You look marvelous darling!”