The question of what a magician should wear while performing has been around for centuries. The correct answer has been around for just as long however, some magicians just don’t seem to get it.
Some feel that they should only wear a tux. A tux is the appropriate “uniform”, some feel. This is simply a myth. But the question has certainly stirred some controversy over the years.
Jean Robert-Houdin, the father of magic, looked around at his colleagues way back when and saw that the common attire for magicians at that time was to dress up like a wizard, along with a conical hat. Instead, he always dressed in the finest evening attire.
He viewed magic as an art, and therefore his dress reflected that opinion. Back then it was common that audiences dressed in their best clothes for an evening out at the theatre, and Robert-Houdin felt that he wanted to fit in with his audience. And the point is that if you want to be viewed as an artist, then your dress should reflect that. If you want to be viewed as a clown, then dress as such.
A great example is Lance Burton. He always wears a tuxedo. But this suits his act. He portrays a classical magician from another era. His style is classic and traditional. A tux is completely appropriate for his act. And he views his dress as a part of his act.
This is a different approach than most magicians. Most just wear a tux because they think they should. This is not necessarily the case. Treat your attire as important but wear what suits your act and personality. Tailor your dress to suit what you want to portray and communicate to your audience and this may not be a tux.
You also need to decide if you want to stand out from your audience or blend in. This may be different for different venues. For example, if you are performing tableside at a restaurant, you may want to blend in as to not steal focus from a particular table. Then, wear what the typical attire is for that restaurant.
The point here is that don’t just wear something because everyone is, or because you think you should. Have it be a part of your act and chose appropriately for you.
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