Dressing the Part: The Commercial Mom

We get asked about dressing for auditions a lot, so let’s talk about it. First, the rule, right at the top in case I lose you to a sandwich halfway through: never dress as the role. Suggest it. I do not want you turning up to your next audition in full medieval garb and then complaining that Leeann never warned you. You have been warned. Moving on.

Actors are always eager to find themselves in a role, and costume is part of that. Your outfit matters; anything that helps you identify with the character isn’t trivial. But your outfit will not book the role. It can help the client see the finished product a little more clearly. It cannot do the heavy lifting. If you’re nervous, fidgety, unprepared or short on technique, that is what costs you the job, and no cardigan will save it.

With that said, there are good guidelines for suggesting a role, and today’s is one of the most common commercial archetypes there is: the commercial mom. Specifically her most common variation, the hero commercial mom. She’s relatable, cute without being glamorous, expressive without being fake, and she generally has a problem to solve, at which point the product arrives. In other words, we have a tightrope to walk.

There are other moms. Frazzled mom. Overbearing mom. Occasionally glamorous mom. Score your script and make choices that support the writing. But if there’s no character written in and you’re just going out for “MOM,” it’s a safe bet you’re the hero commercial mom. Observe her in her natural habitat: laundry. Cramming stuffing into toy animals. You get it. Let’s get started.

1) The outfit

Solid colors or very subtle patterns, conservative necklines. Fitted is good; painted on is not. Keep accessories to a minimum. I’m looking at you, hipsters. I love your chunky bracelets and your vintage leg warmers, and you should leave them at home. This is not the day to express your personality through fashion. This is the Disney Channel version of dressing: make the most relatable choice for the widest audience. You can also look at the client’s previous ads for a sense of their branding and who they think their customer is.

Here’s how I’ve been styled for mom roles:

PetSmart, casual stay-at-home mom. Navy blue dress, nude wedge heels. Easy.

Safeguard, working mom. Solid tank, gray blazer, black slacks, sensible heels. Because, mom.

Target, yuppie mom. Cardigan over the shoulders, light blue striped shirt with three-quarter sleeves, khakis, and Keds.

2) Makeup

Skip the hyper-polished, overly styled mom makeup. That lady isn’t booking the gig, I promise you. You want it to look natural and polished, the kind we shouldn’t really notice. Invest in an HD foundation and powder; if you want to save on the powder, the drugstore has a decent one for about six dollars. Mascara is great, especially if your lashes are blonde. If you want a false lash, use individuals for a more natural look, or a very subtle strip. Keep the eyeliner modest. This is coming from a girl who loves a dramatic eye on a Tuesday, so trust me that it’s hard and worth it. Clean. Fresh. Defined.

So there you go. Pop the collar, press the khakis, and go be somebody’s hero commercial mom. Break a leg.

Leeann Dearing