Video Conferencing? Follow My 5 TipsThese days over 87% of businesses conduct meetings, and yes, interviews too, on platforms such as Skype, GoToMeeting, Zoom, and many others. Video conferencing is here to stay.

So my question to you is…when you’re video conferencing, are you using your clothing as a powerful tool or is it a distraction to your viewers?

I’m going to share with you 5 tips to ensure that your clothing is your Power Partner and not your “Fashion Foe” so that you look and feel your best when the camera is on YOU!  To insure that you can easily remember these tips, I’m going to keep it real simple.

Dress, keeping the five “C’s” in mind. Make sure your outfit is “Comfortable,” “Conservative,” “Clean,” in a pleasing “Color,” and exudes “Confidence.”

 

Video Conferencing: Ensure that your clothing is your Power Partner not your Fashion Foe

 

  1. Comfortable: Make sure that your clothes fit you well so that you aren’t pulling at anything, nor is anything tugging on you to create more breathing room. Speaking of breathing room…if possible, wear clothing that breathes so that you don’t let them see you sweat. However, this does not mean wear something too big. Something that is too big is just as much as a distraction as something that is too small.
  2. Conservative: Dress in clothing that leans toward conservative. Basics are best so that your outfit is a pleasant background to your message and doesn’t upstage your point of view. You want your viewer to focus on what you have to say, not what you’re wearing. General rules of thumb: No low-cut tops or tank tops of any kind. And definitely no strapless tops or crop tops. Nothing unbuttoned too low, or anything sheer.
  3. Clean: Please no stains. I know it goes without saying but I’m going to say it anyway. Also, no rips, tears, holes, or even wrinkles. All of these will show up on camera and will become a distraction. Not to mention that any display of these sends a message that you don’t pay attention to “details.”
  4. Color: Wear a color that you feel good in. Nothing too bright or too dark. Colors that tend to look great on camera and don’t interfere with image quality are medium tones of blue or green. Everyone looks good in one of these colors. Find one that works for you. If it brings out your eyes, even better. Avoid wearing a color that blends into the background. Additionally, avoid patterns. They not only can become a distraction, because like stripes they can become distorted, but they can also overpower your facial features as well as evoke emotional responses. You don’t want yours to induce a negative emotion. If you must wear a pattern have it be no more than 2 colors, small, and inconspicuous.
  5. Confidence: We all have outfits that we feel great in. Pick one that makes you look and feel confident and put together. Make sure that it follows all of the previous “C’s” listed above. If it’s something new that you’ve never worn before, make sure that you test drive it to ensure that you are comfortable sitting in it during the duration of a video conference.

Two bonus tips:

  1. Don’t half dress. What do I mean by this? Don’t wear a nice blouse with sweat pants or shorts just because you don’t think they will be seen. Again, dress as if you’re meeting someone face to face. You never know if you’ll need to stand up suddenly for whatever reason. But more importantly, on a subconscious level you’ll feel more polished (because you will be!), and conduct yourself more professionally if you are fully dressed.
  2. Be aware of what’s behind and around you. Make sure that the wall behind you is appropriate and your surroundings clean. You don’t want your viewer to be distracted by any clutter that may be seen. You want the attention to be on you and not the walls and what’s on them around you.

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Now, it’s  your turn. I’d love to hear from you.  Your insights and inspiration are appreciated so please share your stories in the comments below.

If you have a question also post it in the comment section below.  I check it daily. Since the topic is always about fashion or style no question that you ask will be “off Topic.”

That means as far as I’m concerned, when you ask a question that is the topic. Everyone else who’s reading it can follow up on my answer. There will be no questions that you ask that will be too far off topic because your question will be the current topic. So…ask away!

Oh…and your email address is not “required” even though it says so. 🙂 Don’t even ask.

Blog me.

Love,

~Michelle