Who What WEAR?

Topic research? Check. Audience analysis? Check. Presentation content? Check. Rehearsal? Check. Outfit? UH OH !

Most people giving presentations or engaging in any form of public speaking, give a lot of importance to the content they are going to deliver. And rightly so. But they often overlook the impact their appearance and clothing have on the success of their presentation or talk.

First impressions matter in all scenarios and public speaking is no different. Even before you will have uttered your first word, the audience will make a silent judgement of you largely based on your appearance. If you manage to make the right first impression you will have the audience on your side. But if you get it wrong, no matter how amazing your content is, they will be too distracted by the clashing colours of your clothing to notice.

From the staple jeans and turtleneck t-shirt that Steve Jobs wore to the vibrant head scarves Malala Yusafzai is clad in — what you wear often has almost equal amount of impact on your message as your words do. So here is our guide on dressing for presentations and public speaking to help you avoid grave wardrobe malfunctions on the stage.

The three main things to consider and think about before deciding what to wear are Style, Comfort and the Message you would like to project.

STYLE

When giving a speech, your content is definitely going to be the star. You can’t possibly get away with poor content while looking good. But beyond content, the style you bring to the stage will greatly affect two factors. First, the impression you make and the confidence you will feel on knowing that you look good and are appropriately dressed for the occasion. Superman wears a cape to project that he is a superhero. Here are some points to consider when deciding what your cape can be:

1. What is your personal brand? What impression of yourself do you want to give? Are the clothes you want to wear consistent with your personal brand?

2. COLOURED IN CONFIDENCE

Your confidence is the first accessory you must on stage. Not only is your confidence visible through your appearance, body language and pace of talking , it is how you will be remembered. There are some simple things you can do with your wardrobe that can influence your confidence on stage. This may seem very superficial compared to the depth and meaning of your talk but this has hardly anything to do with vanity and more to do with technical challenges that emerge when stage lighting, camera lenses, and one hundred pairs of eyes hit you. For example, choose a colour that flatters you. Colours worn near your face can either highlight your best features or drain your complexion.

• Jewel tones like purple, teal, emerald green, or sapphire blue are highly saturated colours. They surely always look appealing on stage and on camera. They also work well with more skin tones.
• Pastels can be a preferable alternative palette specifically when your backdrop is dark. Although pastels can be tricky to work with on certain skin tones. If you look at the inside of your forearm (near your wrist) and your veins appear greenish, chances are pastels are not for you. If your veins appear blueish, your cheeks are pink, and your face easily burns in the sun — go for it!
• Neutral colours can all be very hard to work with unless you have an experienced and professional makeup and AV team. Black, for example, can create dark circles under your eyes, making you look tired and having an ageing effect. The age old myth that black makes you appear similar and goes with everything is absolutely wrong. In fact, the opposite is true on stage. If you really want to wear a dark colour, navy blue is a safer choice. White, on the other hand, is a challenge because the eyes of your audience and the camera tend to be drawn to the brightest object in view; therefore, the white you are wearing will stand out even more to them. Ideally, you want your audience to focus primarily on your face, which is why an outfit that is darker than your skin tone is best.
• Sunset tones from yellow to red have often been banished from the stage for “bleeding” on camera (e.g., they have a slight halo effect). Despite improvements in technology, sunset tones are still tricky colours to wear for many people.

Next let’s talk about combining the right colours. Colour combinations that are high in contrast such as navy blue and white are rather difficult for stage lights and cameras to capture effectively. Combinations such as navy blue and light blue which are low in contrast are easier on the eye as well as the camera. And lastly, layers with very low to no contrast are the hardest to provide appropriate light to and capture aesthetically.

Looking good will make you feel good about yourself!

3. BACKDROP BLEND

Lets get specific! When deciding what you are going to wear to any given presentation or talk first find out about the setting. Without hesitation ask about the colour of the backdrop as this is a major aspect of the visual harmony we want to create. This will demonstrate how much you care about doing your best job on stage. It is a given that one must always wear a colour that contrasts with the physical background. But the twist here is how the colour you are wearing actually appears to the audience in contrast to the backdrop and how it translates to a camera. For example, colours set against a bright backdrop will appear brighter, while colours set against a dark backdrop will lose intensity.

Think about the backdrop to your stage (if it’s going to be a black backdrop you probably want to avoid black clothes; if you’ve got a white backdrop or screen, avoid white — especially if you’re going to be on video as light levels can play havoc with white clothes)

COMFORT

In any scenario where you are required to do public speaking there are a list of 100 things you must do before hand to be successful. Your outfit should definitely not be thing no. 101 to worry about.

Even if you’re all dressed up and sparkling looking while the tag is annoying you, or the heels are giving you a bite or the shirt is making you sweaty — it is not worth it. There are absolutely no benefits of dressing well and looking the part if your performance will be affected by your discomfort. Being absolutely comfortable in what you are wearing is the key to feeling confident while public speaking. Your outfit must also be functional and practical for public speaking — not just good looking. Here are some more things to consider in terms of functionality when choosing the outfit.

• Will it allow for movement (of your arms, neck, legs, bending, demonstrating) — So think about the practicality of suits, pencil skirts, tight tops
• Sweat patches — some tops don’t handle sweat well at all. So, unless you know you’ll be as cool as a cucumber, plan for the inevitable sweat
• Temperature of the venue — will you get too hot/cold
• Spare clothes — do you need to bring a spare of something in case of problems?
• Shoes — especially if you are standing

Avoid distraction at any price!

The reason is simple: you don’t want anyone to notice your clothing. If the audience starts to pay attention to something you are wearing, they aren’t listening to you.

Beware of shiny items that easily reflect light. Big, bright jewellery, enormous belt buckles, or fabrics like silks, satins, or sequins reflect in the lighting every time you move. In contrast, heavy fabrics like velvet, suede, wool, or velour will have the opposite effect and make you look dull.

Moving fabrics, jewellery, accessories, or a lanyard are the usual suspects for sound challenges. Empty all your pockets. No one needs to hear jangling keys or change or see a big bulge of a wallet when you are on stage.

An often-underestimated, yet big noise distraction, is footwear. Squeaky soles or noisy heels can cannibalise your audience’s attention every time you take a step on stage. When you go for your sound check, wear the shoes (and possibly even the outfit) you plan to wear when it’s “showtime.” Also, test your stage outfit for sitting, walking, jumping, running — basically any physical activity you plan to do on stage. How will it look when you sit with your meeting host or audience before and after the presentation? Is the outfit too tight, too short, too uncomfortable, or does it uncover parts of you that your professional reputation prefers to have covered?

Stick to your own style, yet be careful with patterns. Big patterns can easily become very distracting. Remember, the focus should be on you, not on your outfit. Alternatively, small, tight, repetitive patterns like polka dots, paisleys, or fine checks tend to “buzz” on stage and on camera, creating an unpleasant effect.

MESSAGE

Adding more dimension to this decision, your clothing, outfit and appearance must be in perfect symmetry with your ultimate message. Thus the final and most important thing to consider is what your clothes represent and if they match with the what your talk represents. A casual t-shirt and jeans would give out a message that this is more of a conversation and you are a friend who is probably not taking the occasion seriously enough. A tailored suit could display that you mean business and you know what you are talking about.

Here are some more things to think about :

• Matching or challenging your audience’s expectations — do you want to blend in or stand out? Are you one of them or apart from them?
• The tone you are giving about yourself — are you serious, funny, professional, relaxed, accessible, austere, affluent, humble

Stay humble in the spotlight.

It is a privilege to share your stories in front of dozens, hundreds, or thousands of attendees eager to hear from you. While I certainly hope these tips will help you be the rock star you are on stage, keep in mind that looking good is great, but never enough. The way to win your audience’s heart is not solely based on your appearance, but by treating them respectfully and delivering the best performance you can — every single time.

Always assume that your audience wants — and deserves — nothing but the best!