Clothing

• Mimes traditionally wear dark clothing, so as long as you have a black shirt or a black pair of pants, you're all set. The black pants should be as tight as possible; mimes use their body to tell the story, so the more you can see of their bodies, the better. Spandex black pants are ideal. You can wear a black turtleneck or, if you have one handy, a black and white striped shirt to accentuate the movement rather than the outfit. Go with simple black shoes; black ballet flats for women and plain black dress shoes for men. Choose clothes that you can move around in easily.
  
  

Makeup

• Mimes rely heavily on their faces to convey emotion, so adding makeup to accentuate their expressions is a must. Traditionally, mimes paint their entire faces white. It contrasts well with the black clothing, making the face the focus of the outfit. After painting your face white with makeup, use black eyeliner to accentuate your eyes and paint on expressive eyebrows that will help you convey a wide range of emotions. Some mimes choose to paint on rosy cheeks, but it isn't necessary.
  
  

Accessories

• The point of a mime is not having to use props, but you can still add some accessories to take the homemade mime costume to the next level. A pair of black suspenders would be a good look over a striped top. White gloves bring attention to your expressive hands as you act out scenarios. A black beret makes you look like a more traditional French mime and can be easily found at a thrift shop. If you're worried about people not knowing what you are dressed as, bring along a small, transparent box to carry with you; a mime's most popular trick is to look like he's in a glass box. Even if you don't have the acting skills to be a mime, there won't be any question what you are supposed to be.