colors are more appropriate for certain events versus others. Now, as someone whose closet is 90% black and white, I can attest that you can never go wrong with any neutral outfit when speaking. Neutral colors (variants of black, brown, white, gray, and navy) are always a safe bet when speaking and they make picking out an outfit a breeze because they easily mix and match with each other! However, you can utilize non- neutral colors to brighten up any outfit and create eye-catching details that the audience will remember you by. For example, wearing black trousers with a black top and then adding a red blazer, is a fun way to catch the eyes of your audience while still remaining professional. The same concept applies if you wear a bright colored pair of pants with a simple neutral top! Fair warning though: be wary of colors that are “too loud” such as neon colors; these will be more distracting rather than engaging. 5. Patterns and Textures: Similar to color, using fun patterns or textures is another great way to elevate your outfit in a classy, yet eye-catching way! Some examples would be adding a fun tie or a pair of
3. Comfort: No outfit, regardless of how fashionable it may be, is worth major discomfort especially when presenting to others. When a speaker feels uncomfortable, it shows within their body language and trust me when I say, the audience can feel it. It takes enough courage to publicly speak, so there should be no reason to add an extra layer of discomfort to the mix! Is a piece of clothing too tight? Don’t wear it. Is a certain fabric really itchy on your skin? Don’t wear it. Do those high heels make you feel like you’re walking on stilts (not to mention giving you blisters)? Don’t wear them! Your outfit should make you feel confident AND comfortable, so don’t let unnecessary discomfort take away from how you feel about yourself when presenting. 4. Color: Color plays a huge role in how an audience sees you when speaking, and certain
and sometimes you may need to gather more details of the location and the overall formality of the event to inform your decision. 2. Audience: The second question to ask yourself when picking out an outfit for a presentation is “Who am I speaking to?”. Understanding your audience is important, because you want to not only exude authority over the topic you’re discussing, but you still want to be relatable to your audience. For example, if you find yourself speaking to a room of executives that dress in formal attire, such as suits, it would make the most sense to dress similarly rather than wearing casual jeans and a t-shirt. On the contrary, if you are speaking to a room full of students and teachers, presenting in a formal suit could come off as unrelatable and unwelcoming.
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