Wardrobe & Look Guidelines
When it comes to wardrobe, hair and makeup, there are lots of elements to consider regarding style, camera and lighting. Clothing needs to be camera-friendly and not disappear into the background, while not enough makeup may mean too much shine. Too much of it can look heavy and distracting. Remember, the camera picks up everything!
Event Details
Inform Wardrobe Direction and Selection
EVENT MESSAGE
- Music
- Sport Competition
- Innovation
- Lifestyle
- Performance
CASUAL EVENT STYLE
Stage :music festivals, performance competitions, culture, lifestyle, trend + fashion, innovation
- Trend: event micro-trends
Field: sport and adventure
- Athleisure: mixing casual street clothes with activewear
- H&MU: natural + effortless; fresh
ENVIRONMENT
- IndoorVenue
- Outdoor Venue
- Landscape: terrain and backdrop
- Seasonal Weather:
rain, wind, heat, humidity, below freezing, ice, snow, rain - Time of day: harsh midday sun
SEASONAL GEAR + DAMAGE CONTROL
- Rain: clear umbrellas on-camera, rain jacket or emergency poncho, water proof shoes or boots, back-up shoe + socks
- Cold: warming coat or blanket, hand and toe warmers
- Sun protection: scrim, diffusion, small shade umbrella, sun-green, hat
- Sweat control: paper towels, gel packs, personal fan
- Wardrobe Multiples to replace damaged, sweaty, dirty, or wet wardrobe
PRODUCTION DESIGN
- Barricades + Backdrops
- Stage Design
- Set Design
- Press Tent
- Podium Ceremony
BACKGROUND SEPARATION
- Use background elements to direct Talent wardrobe
Use contrast to increase or decrease background separation:
- Value contrast: Lighter value against darker
- Color + saturation: warm colors proceed while cool colors receed.
- Reflectance: increase shiny or flashy (lighting design)
LIGHTNING DESIGN
- Available Light: Natural or Location
- Flat Studio Artificial Light
- Dark, Dim or Dramatic Stage Lighting
- All of the Above
Camera Friendly: Eye vs. HD
HD sees and records everything
Foreground + Background
Simplify the scene into foreground and background.
As a design element, talent has two crucial roles in the scene composition:
FOREGROUND DIRECTION
Is talent directing the viewer’s attention?
Talent directs or misdirects the viewer’s attention with cues like eye gaze, gestures, and wardrobe.
BACKGROUND SEPARATION
Is talent separating from the background? Make sure talent adds interest to the composition and separates. Camera cannot move a mountain background, but wardrobe can quickly change a shirt or jacket to create background separation.
Look for tangents in the composition!
Lightning Design + Wardrobe Selection
What to avoid
LOGOS + BRANDS
- Avoid apparel + gear tattoos with trademark, logos, brands
- All third-party logos require trademark clearance through RBMH legal
- Hide or cover tattoos showing protected trademarks
ART
- Avoid apparel + gear with third-party art
- All third-party art requires copyright clearance
BOSSY WARDROBE
- Ask, “Is your shirt telling me to do something?”
- Small words and phrases serve as directional cues that distract viewers
- If you wear printed t-shirts, choose large fonts that read quickly
PATTERN + MOIRÉ
- Avoid small linear patterns and thin stripes
- Avoid tiny geometric prints, tiny dots and small repetitive patterns
- Careful with highly textured fabrics like pique, raised ribbed faille, mesh, organza and herringbone
Test for Moiré:
Open live-view on your cell phone camera, slowly move the camera or the fabric.
Look for any wavy weirdness visible on the viewfinder - that’s moiré and should be avoided.
NOISE + SOUND
- Rigid wind-stop and water proof fabrics can interfere with sound
- Always consult the sound engineer about noisy wardrobe
- Excessive jewelry, jingling bracelets and clunky bangles can interfere with sound
- Long necklaces can interfere with lavalier mics
- Remove cellphones, chapstick, keys and contents that add bulk and weight to pockets
Camera Ready Checklist
- CLEAN: No visible stains; especially shirt or jacket closest to the face and hands
- PREPPED: Steamed or ironed; free of wrinkles, folds and packaging creases
- PROPER FIT: Oversized wardrobe appears sloppy on camera; alter if needed
- GREEKED: All uncleared logos, brands, and art are removed, covered or “greeked” out
Women's Hair and Make-Up
- LESS IS MORE: HD can see everything — avoid heavy, pancake makeup
- MAKE-UP + SPORT: Style for natural and effortless hair and make-up; healthy and glowing skin. (Avoid frost, glitter, and iridescent highlights.)
- MAKE-UP + ENTERTAINMENT: Choose bolder styles for nighttime events.
Performance and music festivals events can utilize bold and more dramatic make-up. - SKIN: Shine and sweat free
- FACE: Double-check eyes, nose, mouth, teeth for any dirt, food or UFO
- HAIR: Clean and well-groomed. Always out of eyes and face!
Care and maintenance matters more than cut or style In wind or high-humidity, pull back or half back to keep hair from blowing in Talent’s face Watch for loops, gaps or separation in longer hair styles - NAILS + HANDS: Clean nails and hands. Avoid chipped or attention-grabbing nail polish.
Men's Grooming
- SHINE: Shine free and sweat free
- FACE: Double-check eyes, nose, mouth, teeth for any dirt, food or UFO
- HAIR: Clean and well-groomed. Always out of eyes and face! Care and maintenance matters more than cut or style
- FACIAL HAIR: At any length, trim and shaped with crisp edges; trimmed to show mouth
- NOT THERE HAIR: Trim nose, eyebrow, ear, neck and back hair that’s not supposed to be there
- HANDS + NAILS: Nails trim and clean, but fitting to the story or location
Sensitive Skin?
Is your skin irritated, red or blotchy after you shave?
Shave the night before and your skin has time to recover while you sleep.