Fashion Plays a Part in Miming, Too

Stereotypes and misconceptions concerning mimes and the art of miming abound. "Mimes are mute." "Mimes are always trapped in glass boxes." "Mimes are deaf." "Mimes can find no other profession." "Mimes are asexual." "Mimes only understand French." While these statements are absurd generalities and only exist in rare, specific cases, they still flutter in people's minds. Apparently mimes have no love lives and no other employment prospects outside of miming because they are deaf and mute. These stereotypes likely derive from the truths that mimes perform with no sound effects, often portray androgynous personas, and belong to that band of passionate folks known as "starving artists." Few people bother to consider the connection between mimes and fashion, however. Like all performers, mimes wear costumes before their audiences. And costumes, while perhaps not the first word that pops into one's imagination at the mention of "fashion," occupy an important niche in the fashion world.

The typical mime outfit is hardly elaborate--often some combination of black, white, and primary red/blue/yellow, and consisting of a bowler hat/beret, suspenders, a scarf, gloves, a solid or striped top, solid pants, and jazz/dress shoes. Despite its Spartan requirements, sthe mime costume is still a decisively constructed ensemble. Like any well structured outfit, it contains the right balance of color; the overall silhouette has been considered; and accessories must match the vibe as a whole.

When I performed as a mime for the 2009 ribbon-cutting of Richmond's CenterStage, my costume was recognizably that of my character yet still possessed that special element that animates any good outfit: my personal style. Thankfully when I was hired for the gig I did not have to go out and buy new clothes for the part. One of the benefits of the mime outfit is that, unlike many costumes, it relies almost entirely on classic, everyday garments. After all, most people have simple black and white clothes and some touch of red, blue, or yellow lurking in their closets. The face paint--a white base with black lined eyes and possibly a dot of red here or there--and the beret are all that distinguish the mime costume from the average, Western man or woman's daily wear.

For my miming debut, I wore a bright red beret; it was knitted and came from a Northern Virginian thrift shop. My shirt, which was a black and white, tux inspired piece, traveled from a discount fashion shop in Harlem. I also had on plain white gloves, courtesy of my mother's wardrobe. My construction paper blue pants hailed from a thrift shop in Grinnell, Iowa, whereas I bought my silver jazz shoes at a department store in La Rochelle, France. Not a single item in the ensemble violated my precious $10 rule (which dictates that I never spend more than $10 for an individual article of clothing). In fact, the most expensive piece was the top and even that only cost $5 new.

Obviously I took liberty with my miming outfit. Silver jazz shoes, for instance, are not exactly miming standards. Black jazz shoes are. I injected my personal style by opting for silver ones instead. I could have just as easily worn black pants, a black and white striped shirt, a black beret, and black jazz shoes, which appears to be the most commonly accepted version of a mime costume. That would have been too predictable for my taste, though. As previously mentioned, what really distinguishes a costume is that unique addition, that piece that makes the costume identifiable as the actor's creation and not just that of another stock character.

I could have expressed my personal style in other manners. I could have purchased my clothes at different stores in a completely different price range; I could have even bought a pre-set mime costume. To really confuse my audience, I could've worn a totally uncharacteristic outfit and mimed nonetheless. These are thoughts to weigh the next time you doubt that fashion plays a part even in miming. It only goes to show that fashion is not confined to designer boutiques.