Ok, I am going to draw a lot of ire with this one, but I just have to. Unless I am completely insane, you must dress for the event if you want to succeed. If I were shopping for Art, Jewelry, or anything of quality, I don't want to buy it from an artist/craftsperson that looks like they got dressed in the dark in clothes that have been slept in. You are not going to the beach, you are trying to pry hundreds of dollars out of my wallet. If the average shopper is better dressed than you are, that should be a clue. I won't listen to "It's hot", "It's cold", or anything like that. The only appropriate T-Shirt is an event t-shirt from that event. Men - buy a polo. Wear solid color, non-faded shorts. Ladies - there are tons of loose fitting, cool shirts. Shorts need to be modest.
DENIM SHOULD BE OUTLAWED! Cleavage is not needed. Flip Flops are bad - and if you are not sitting all day, which is a good way to miss sales, your feet will kill you by end of day.
Same day setup? Bring a change of clothes to change into after you have set up.
Cold? Sweater, not sweatshirt or hoodie. Really cold? Nice coat or parka. Cold weather is the only excuse for denim.
Of course, these are only the rules according to me. But if you are next to me at an event dressed like a bum or like you are headed to the beach, biker bar etc., please don't complain to me about your poor sales!
Comments
News Flash! We were blessed to participate in the AnnMarie Sculpture Gardens Artsfest '14 (Solomons Island, MD), a great Fine Arts event. I can assure you that no one had that "Starving Artist" look. Sure, FlipFlops on the ladies with a sundress. All the guys were sharp in Casual wear, and, coincidentally(??) EVERYONE had a great show. One of the finest events we have ever done, and the most profitable 2 day, 14 hours of selling event EVER.
I think Richard has the right idea. You should dress to suite what you sell. If that is leather goods, then cowboy attire is perfect. If you sell sophisticated jewelry, then you should dress like a person who buys and wears such. If you sell paintings or photographs of Key West, then dressing like a beach bum might be just the thing. But the safest thing is to dress like you expect your customers to dress.
Great point, Peggy, on the slobs that are still selling - the question is, is it in SPITE of their appearance? I contend that we all should use every tool available to us in order to be successful, and personal appearance is one of those tools. I appreciate all the kind comments, was beginning to think I was a dinosaur and that my perceptions were terribly outdated!
I really do agree with you, Allan, in general. I think this is especially true for indoor shows and for those shows that attract those of a higher income level primarily. I especially like your "rule of thumb" that we should be dressed better than the average potential customer. (I contend that "the average customer" might be a low standard.) However, I think that there are some shows where dressier clothes might be considered "overdone". I'm thinking especially themed shows. You've given us something to consider that could be an important issue that could easily change customer's perception of our work. Thank you.
Being a potter, shows are one of the few chances I have to dress up and wear clothes I love.
I concur with the original post! I see so many artists looking slovenly and sloppy. Do people not have mirrors? Here is another point to bolster this concept: are we not supposed to be the trend-setters, the original thinkers, the Creative Ones? Doesn't that apply to our appearance as well? Should we not lead the public towards innovative thoughts and concepts, even when they glance at us? What is more boring, more common, more ubiquitous and the least thoughtful or original mode of dress than jeans and trainers? Ugh! It's not as bad on men (though, as the song says: "Everybody luvs a sharp dressed MAN") since they are pretty boring in their dress, as a general rule, but LADIES! You all have a closet full of clothes, Wear them! Put the jeans aside for just these few days and stand out from the crowd!
I agree with dressing up for a show, but I'm surprised that no one added what I've noticed... I see artists all the time dressed very casually - what I consider too casually - and they are selling like crazy, even high-end work.
Ha,ha...I think I may have exaggerated a bit to make my point...actually if you still have good legs and the shorts are not too short, then fine...go for it, but tastefully please.
As this blog post is at the end of it's course, I thank those of you that have provided positive input to the topic. I felt compelled to share my opinion (and I know that opinions are like behinds - everyone has one and most of them stink!), based upon 40 years of business experience, most of it spent in Customer Service arenas. If you gained nothing else from this, understand that everyone has a minimum standard of what is an acceptable appearance for a salesperson trying to sell them something. Damn few have a maximum standard. You can easily be under dressed (or under-covered) but it is really hard to be over-dressed. It is impossible to be too well groomed (although you can wear too much makeup or hair product for some folks). Our goal is to be presentable to the largest percentage of the public in the venue that we are presenting in. While one would assume common sense would rule, it is obvious at the shows (and even in some of the comments here), that it does not always do so.
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