For some reason that reminded me of Kirk Charles in Live at the Jailhouse. Personally I don't like vests. Don't get me wrong though, I've never done a restaurant gig. I would believe though that I would wear black pants and a dress shirt (casually of course, depending on the restaurant).

But if I were to perform in TGI Friday, Chilies, or a casual mexican restaurant, what would I wear? I'm picutring, kaki pants, a vest over a white dress shirt.

Go to that restaurant, see what everyone is wearing, and bump that up one notch.

Yeah it just depends on the place mostly. A casual place would be a good place for like just moderate like a button up white shirt maybe tucked in, then some places are so casual it would probably be best to be dressed casually but in some style still (although most places like that won't be interested in a magician because it won't fit in), and then like nicer places you should go all out with a jacket and everything. I think what fallingblood said is a good idea, to just go one notch above what everyone else is wearing.

For example, last saturday I was eating at a place that was casual dress, but it was a little above average and some people there were dressed not quite casually, like polo shirts and such because the place tried to aim for golfers on vacation I guess idk. But anyway the place has a magician and he was dressed with a button up shirt, a tie, and a vest but no jacket. The jacket would come off as a bit much I think, but while I was there I was thinking I would probably where a jacket at that place anyway because it would just go with me better I think. Now what I was wearing was completely casual, along with my friends there. And then like I said there were people in there dressed in like polo shirts and stuff too, and the place's price range for food was about 12-14 dollars on average I think. So the guy didn't have like a formal suit attire going, but he was dressed better than anyone in there.

You want to be the BEST dressed man/woman wherever you are performing. Ignore David Blaine and Criss Angel. They are "famous" so this does not apply to them.

DRESS BETTER THAN ANYONE IN THE ROOM.

If this means a suit jacket then by all means wear it.

If everyone is wearing t-shirts...by god you better be wearing the classiest t-shirt in that joint!

Well then, I wear a Genghis Tron Zip Hoodie.

http://genghistron.bigcartel.com/product/awesome-zip-hoodie

Or, I soon will, right now a shirt will do.

Garrett

***EDIT***

WOW, I just read what you guys wear, I'm gonna get torn apart. Then again, I'm 14 and don't perform at restaurants.

Actually, for restaurant work, that is a horrible choice for apparel. It will give a bad impression, and people simply will think you're just some kid off the streets.

Me? I don't do restaurant work.

I wouldn't wear that doing a show for people I don't know.

After reading all this garbage from people that have never even see a working restaurant entertainer I have to say something. You MUST have a costume that you wear for your shows. Whatever costume that your character feels comfortable in. Professor Paddy, my performing character, is from the old medicine show days. So I wear grey slacks, with suspenders, white long sleeved shirt, a very colourful vest with playing cards pictured on it, a string tie and a bowler hat. My hat and vest makes me stand out in any crowd and I look like and talk like an entertainer, not like the staff and certainly not like the customers.

If you have to ask what to wear that means you don't have a performing character and if you don't have a performing character you are not ready to perform. What is a performing character? Very simple, I as Peter don't perform magic. I practice but not perform. Once I get into character, Paddy now firmly believes in his magic. When he palms a coin, to him it really disappears. It's gone until he brings it back. If you can't do an effect a not believe in the magic, you can't convince your audience that they have just seen the impossible happen before their eyes.

You don't necessarily (sp.?) have to have a performing character as much as good performance skills, body language and phrasing. Be whatever you feel comfortable as and whatever you feel gets the greatest reactions. Be professional in a professional situation. In 13 steps, Corinda talks about a man once missing a great Casino show all because he wasn't wearing a tie. Be suited and prepared for the occasion.

Garrett

I LOVE jackets!
About a year ago, I got a sports coat from a thrift store, and I had just bought the universal pull, so I really wanted to wear the jacket to school. I thought people would find it weird, but I just went for it one day.
Everyone asked why I was wearing it, so I just asked them why they WEREN'T.
Later that year, my friend said I was the only freshman who could pull it off (wearing a sports coat and a fedora every day).
But I digress.
The point is, now I wear a coat just about every day, and it has opened up MANY new doors for performing, so it was a wise change in style.

I have a black jacket with sparkling pin stripes. No special features, but I have notice it helps people remember me which helps me land more jobs.

Paddy doesn't that scare people?

It is a basic principle of magic. You have to BELIEVE and the spectator will then believe. When I hear about kids that are harrassed by other kids telling the secrets of magic, it is because they are not PERFORMING magic, they are doing tricks.

Doing tricks is a lot scarier than performing any day.

Unfortunately, this is one of those nuggets of magical knowledge that it usually takes an F from the school of hard knocks to teach. The proper mindset for the performance is key to performing convincingly. As Paddy said, the coin must be gone in your mind as well as in the spectator's. If you don't ackowledge the coin's disappearance, you'll palm it too hard, you'll glance at it, you'll hint at its presence. . .

I don't have a secondary personality for being a performer - it's just a more excited and amped up version of myself. However, there is a confidence that isn't there when I'm not performing. I can get away with poking fun at people and making assorted jokes that would be deemed vastly inappropriate if I made them elsewhere.

Dustin

P.S. Oh, and wear a jacket.