Big speaking presentation? Dress for success.
Whether you are leading a team presentation or keynoting in front of thousands streaming live – how to add confidence and style to presentation.
My mom always taught me to dress for the job you wanted. It also helped that she is a expertseamstress and costumer. Growing up most of our clothes were custom created and sewn by her and to this day my special events are always custom done! Ok sidebar, but now you see where it stems from. I grew up with humble roots in Erie, PA but we were always put together.
It doesn’t matter if you are giving a presentation to a board room, a global conference or on TV in front of millions –impress – it shows class and respect for the role.
Here are some tips for taking the stage from my own lived experiences.
Always overdress. I say this also not too literally. I have seen some interesting choices that looked more like MET Gala than global tech conference. Be presentable with a spark.
If you are presenting to a live stream or at a big conference where they will be filming you avoid small patterns. They will moray or in colloquial terms look like they are vibrating on camera. This includes houndstooth patterns or very small stripes or checks.
If it’s not comfortable when you try it on, ditch it. We often want to buy something new for a special event but if you aren’t comfortable in it when you put it over your head you definitely aren’t going to be when presenting. You don’t need any more things to think about.
These next few points are targeted to the ladies!
Shoe game on point. It might sound silly but on a big stage in front of thousands the last thing you want to do is trip or slip. I was recently in a rehearsal and as I entered from behind the curtain I quickly realized the stage was awkwardly carpeted and hard to walk on. I immediately switched to more of a flat. And this is something I am constantly playing around with. In my music world I like to be in very high heels. In my speaking world I have to have a very supportive block heel. It gives me more security on stage when I am walking back and forth for hours on and off stage, sometimes with stairs, and trying to focus on delivering heavy material. Make sure you are comfortable walking in your shoes!
Hair and Makeup. If you have the means it is a great investment to hire a hair and makeup artist if you are on TV or a big stage. If you feel your best it will only add confidence. And yeah we love our guys but we got a lot more to deal with hair and makeup wise --- but also that can be the fun part!
This next point is just for the guys!
I was at a global event and a presenter forgot his nice shirt. He did not buy a new shirt. I was a bit in awe. I revert back to point #1 – always better to overdress than underdress. Think classy-anice shirt, nice pants (avoid jeans) and leather shoes (no sneakers). Avoid small prints on stage or camera as again they will moray “buzz” when being filmed. I always think a nice solid colored shirt looks great – if you are someone that gets hot and sweats avoid a color that will bleed through – it’s not a good look!
However, if you do have a big event I highly suggest doing a “trial” with them in advance. You need to know what you are getting into on a day where your mind is going to be going 100mph. Make sure you give them photo examples of what you want. They aren’t mind readers!
I do a lot of TV work and each output is so different. Sometimes I can look great in person but super shiny on TV like I just ran through a sprinkler system. Or sometimes all the tiniest hairs can look so out of whack on screens. With your presentation your main focus, you really don’t want to worry about these kind of things and lean on an expert hair and makeup artist. It’s pretty normal for big events and you won’t look like a diva. And again this about you looking and feeling like the expert.
Clothing choice. Stylists can be hard to find but we all have that one friend that is amazing at piecing things together. Offer to pay them or if that’s weird, insist you send them a gift card to help you with your outfits for the big event.
Are you giving your presentation seating or standing? I often sit in rehearsals where I am watching executives present and have to be a lookout and hype girl for women. If you are on a panel ask for low chairs and wear a longer skirt or dress. I don’t know whose idea it is to put people in directors chairs when they can 1) barely reach the ground and 2) this can so quickly lead to an unflattering audience shot! If I know I am to be in a seated position I always opt for a long dress or nice pants (no jeans!!!) Also, regardless of chair don’t forget to cross your legs. I have seen too many females forget to do this.
Event branding. If you’re at an event where there is obvious branding color scheme -- I always like to compliment the colors. It’s a fine line between pandering (you don’t want to do too much!) and working with the color palette to compliment the overall look. Also, a pop of color ALWAYS looks nice and adds vibrancy. In my day to day, my NYC lifestyle has me always in all black but my on air and emcee wardrobes looks like a Benjamin Moore paint truck just spilled all over my closets! Color, color, color!
