“I dedicate this article to readers whose activities are closely related to working in the public field and are full of meetings, speeches, and communication with business partners.”
Today, I will touch upon the topic of appearance and its impact on the audience. I am confident that you will take a different look at your wardrobe and be able to enhance it with items that will become your hallmark and part of your individual style.
You can argue that it doesn’t matter how a person looks, but what’s inside matters, and you pay attention to their personal qualities and, ultimately, their soul! I agree with you, but all of the above is secondary, and as cliché as it may sound, “you judge a book by its cover.” No, it’s not a bad thing, but it’s how our minds work. It only takes us three seconds to enter a room and visually assess who we like and who we don’t, mentally creating a list of people we’ll interact with. I say this not only as a stylist, but also as someone who has seen many speakers at the federal and international levels in his professional life.
Many of them had amazing reports, but looking at the speaker from the audience, you constantly hear an inner voice that says: “I DON’T BELIEVE IT”!
Let’s figure it out! Using the examples that I will give, you will understand which mistakes are better not to make, so that your chosen image plays for you, not against you.
EXCESSIVE SIMPLICITY
I’m smart, and it doesn’t work anymore. Sneakers, a wrinkled shirt or jacket, and thin knitwear that highlights every crease on your body are not suitable for public appearances. If you don’t feel comfortable in a formal style, casualwear can help you feel more at ease. Comfortable loafers, trousers or jeans, a loose-fitting jacket, or a business suit that allows for movement, combined with sneakers, are acceptable options.
My advice: do not choose linen clothes for performances – they are wrinkled and look untidy in pictures or videos. If the materials from this performance will be useful for your professional portfolio, take this point into account.
I DON’T BELIEVE
It is a very common story when the speaker’s clothes do not match what he is saying. I will give a vivid example from my experience. Youth forum, the theme: the development of youth strategy of learning and professional career growth. Federal speaker – a woman, representative of the career development center. Image: trampled shoes, skinny jeans, a knitted flower-patterned blouse, hair in a ponytail. She was talking about very important things – the steps that need to be taken to conquer this world and become a successful person. And here the speaker made a mistake, deciding that the main thing is the content. Do you think the students listened to her?
The first thought, looking at such an expert: “If I turn to the organization for support – on the career can be put to rest.” Your appearance should correspond to the topic on which you broadcast. The person will not have the motivation to understand your idea, and even more so to put it into practice. Why then to speak?
INFANTILITY AND EXQUISITE CLOTHING
The joy of life is wonderful, but large peas, colorful blouses, a flower pattern, ballet shoes… will not add to your expertise on the podium, and your audience will have to make an additional effort to assess the degree of your professionalism and the depth of your thoughts.
What if the audience does not have enough time to change their first impression? Purely psychologically, too original clothing increases the resistance that the audience always experiences when meeting a new person. An exception is forums for designers, musicians and creative individuals in general. That’s where you don’t have to be shy!
You should be comfortable in what you are wearing
What to pay attention to – Women
– The length of the skirt is no higher than 5 cm from the knees, it is even better to cover them. If you are on stage and the audience is sitting, the skirt visually looks shorter. If the format of the meeting involves sitting in chairs – the skirt rises even more. Do not put in the blush and do not complicate the work of photo and videographers who will look for the right angle … or not.
– Avoid thin knitwear: it looks unpresentable on stage or podium, and it can also highlight imperfections in your figure that you may not even be aware of.
– Shoes without heels: it affects your posture, and you simply don’t hold them, which visually reduces your status and creates a more down-to-earth appearance. Allow yourself at least 3 cm and keep your sandals away.
– Tights are a must-have, even in the heat (8 den). From the latest: a girl was defending a project related to improving the urban environment in front of representatives of major investment companies – I was listening, and then I saw this… The stage, the snow-white chair where the girl had recently sat… was stained with self-tanner. This is a failure!
What to pay attention to – Men
– Forget about short-sleeved shirts – save them for your vacation. If the official part of the event is over and you plan to continue chatting in a relaxed atmosphere, you can remove your jacket and roll up your sleeves. This always looks more stylish, masculine, and charismatic.
– Socks! They can cause a decrease in your rating among the target audience. If you are a speaker and are sitting on the stage, make sure that your socks are above the level of your trousers. Purchase a few pairs of golf socks for this purpose, and it is better to choose them in harmony with the color of your suit and shoes.
– Shorts are only suitable for close friends. If you are a manager and are attending an informal corporate event, choose a lightweight semi-sporty suit with trousers. It has been proven that at such events, employees unknowingly begin to erase existing boundaries, discipline in the team decreases, and, most unpleasant, situations of neglect of professional duties may subsequently arise. Do you need this?!
USE ACCESSORIES
They set the character, concentrate on you focus and collect the image into a single whole. Life hack: staying in the same clothes and changing accessories, you can look different every time and make a different impression on others. By the way, the size of accessories also matters. If you wear an XL size of clothes, then the jewelry should be large enough, otherwise they will be lost on you.
Your appearance should match the audience you are going to speak to.
For example, speaking to the management of a bank will require a business formal dress code: a strict hairstyle, a suit, a solid-colored shirt, classic shoes, and a tie. During a similar speech at a conference for managers, the speaker can do without a tie by unbuttoning the top button of their shirt. The strictest requirements are in health and money-related audiences, where there are high demands for safety and reliability of information. I will not stop repeating – YOU MUST BE BELIEVED!
COMFORT
Another aspect that should not be forgotten. You should be comfortable in what you are wearing.
– If you feel that you have made a mistake with the length of the skirt, you will only think about whether it has risen even higher. Wearing shoes that are too tight can distract your attention from the speech, and confuse your thoughts.
– If you constantly correct and pull your clothes, it distracts the attention of the audience and gives away your insecurity.
To feel confident at all times and in all places, use the resources you have available.
Height, weight, age, body type – this is your uniqueness, which can and should be used for your own benefit!
Now I will tell you a few options:
– if you are a woman and have a curvy figure, in particular, volume in the abdominal area, transfer the emphasis to slender ankles or the neckline, using a catchy necklace. An additional layer on the shoulders or long beads will create vertical lines that visually lengthen and stretch the silhouette;
– you are slim – emphasize your figure, and it is not necessarily something tight. On the contrary, play on contrast. Choose an oversize suit, lift the sleeves and add massive bracelets, showing off fragile wrists;
– men far from athletic standards, I would advise to abandon “loose” elements in clothing (sweaters of voluminous knitting or thin t-shirts) and choose items from dense fabrics in the wardrobe. They will give you the right masculine silhouette and keep the shape.
Don’t forget about air! There should be air between your body and your clothes. This way, you’ll maintain the balance of your look and avoid highlighting any imperfections in your figure, if there are any.
Finally, a tip from a stylist: being fashionable doesn’t necessarily mean being stylish! Take a fresh look at your wardrobe and keep only the items that enhance your appearance, and then wear only those that suit you.
Don’t take fashion trends too seriously; instead, experiment to create your own unique style!
“The image you choose should work for you, not against you.”
Natalia GALKINA,
personal stylist for leaders.
