I bought this item months ago and have only just got round to performing it and seeing as I couldn't find any other reviews of it using the search function I thought I'd have a go at writing one
What They Say
Imagine walking up to someone as you clearly, openly display your shirt. You turn 360 degrees, and you're now wearing a completely different shirt.
Created by Calen Morelli, Dresscode is direct, visual magic at it's finest. It's simple, easy, and needs no patter. The visual shock of the effect translates to any language, and any culture - it is true magic.
The shirt at the end is completely normal. The jacket is completely normal. And the shirt is shown front and back before AND after the change.
Dresscode can be done with ANY t-shirt, at ANY time. Reset time is less than 15 seconds - you are ready to perform it once again. It truly is the quickest, most practical quick change ever conceived. You can wear the gimmick all day comfortably, without difficulty.
With Dresscode, you'll be supplied with everything you need in over 45 minutes of detailed instruction by Calen Morelli. The DVD contains performances and multiple applications to stimulate your creativity. No gimmicked shirts are provided with the DVD - you will be using YOUR own shirt - whatever you want.
There no cards. There are no coins. No silly props, or magic wands. There is only YOU. The focus is on you. Their eyes will be on you. They will remember you. Dresscode is the perfect opening to any act, walk around or street magic set. It is practical, easy, and provides a lightning fast reset.
What I say
Dresscode is one of those effects that we've come to expect from Theory 11, Blaine-esque street magic that is marketed as being (and I'm loathed to say it) 'cool.' I call this kind of thing 'Punk Magic' and Dresscode definitely qualifies as that; Moreli dreeesed in his long shirts, baggy jeans and baseball cap being only 19 if I'm correct.
I realise that I sound like I dislike this effect, and you'd be right to an extent. I find the presentation offered on the DVD a bit too like Blaine and I think the fact that it require you to wear an overshirt means that you have to change your dress-style in order to use it (that said I haven't tried doing it with a suit jacket on yet, I don't know if the collar will be too short for it to be effective.)
However, the effect (and method) itself is brilliant! Moreli has hit the ground running with this effect and has created a quick change that is extremely visual and can be quite versitile. The DVD offers many alternative handlings, eg having a shirt with names written all over it, having a spec select a name and then performing the change to find that now all of the names appart from their selceted one have fallen to the bottom of the shirt. To be honest, the sky's your limit with this, if you can think of anything you want to have revealed on a t-shirt you can do it with this if you think it through carefully enough. I'm toying with the idea of vanishing a beer bottle and having it re-appear on my top.
Conclusion
If you regularly perform Theory 11 style effects then this is definitely one for you! An effect that is visiual and is easy to reset once performed (ideal for street magic or walk about) however cannot be done surrounded (fairly obviously I would have thought.) Compromise would have to be made if you wouldn't normally dress in a t-shirt for performing but it can be a big pay-off.
My rating
8/10 - looses a few marks for earlier noted problems but as an effect I think its great
