How to dress for public speaking success
Whether they’re delivering a TEDx talk, speaking at a conference, or presenting to colleagues, many of my clients want to know how to dress for their big presentations. That’s a reasonable question. But today’s audiences rightly value authenticity over appearance, which begs a different question: does what we wear when presenting even matter?
My answer?
No.
Maybe.
And yes. (But not for the reason you’d think.)
The No: Why your attire doesn’t matter
The most important part of any presentation you give will always be the content. Crafting a message that prioritizes the needs of the audience is vital. If you haven’t done that effectively, being well-dressed won’t mean a thing. Be sure to invest your time and effort into creating the right message before you think about what to wear. The second reason I advise my clients not to overthink their wardrobe choices is because they need to show up as themselves—instead of dressing the way they think a speaker “should.” There’s no need to purchase something (unless you want to) because your closet already contains clothing that’s your style making it the right place to select your outfit.
The Maybe: Why your appearance might matter
A recent article on the HBO show Euphoria highlighted their use of costuming as a storytelling device. The point is that, like lighting and cinematography, costume communicates something. Similarly, what you wear when presenting also communicates something… and what it’s communicating can either enhance your message or detract from it. Some things to consider:
- Your attire can act as a mood-setter. For example: if you want the audience to feel inspired or fired up, wearing a bold color would contribute to that feeling. If trust is central to the message, wearing blue—the color of trust, according to color psychology—might be a good choice.
- Your attire should be congruent with your message (walk—and wear—your talk). Susan Cain’s choice of attire for her TED talk, The power of introverts, is a good example of her attire being congruent with a message about those of us who are ‘quiet’. By contrast, Ingrid Fetell Lee donned a bright pink and orange dress for her TED talk, which advocates being surrounded by color as a tool for finding joy. Get feedback from friends, colleagues, or your coach on your planned attire to ensure you’re not signaling something you don’t intend. (A speaker at a leadership conference I attended was wearing a long suit jacket that was white; despite no medical training, she appeared to be dressed as a physician.)
- Your attire should be congruent with the setting. When I present to bankers, my attire is more formal because most attendees are in suits; when I’m training techies and creatives—who often show up in jeans and Chuck Taylors—I dress more casually. My rule of thumb is to be dressed about 25% more formally than those in attendance to convey awareness of the context and audience but still convey professionalism.
The Yes: Why your attire does matter when presenting (but not for the reason you might expect)
For better or worse, audiences (all people, really) draw conclusions about us based on our appearance, which means those “first impression” seconds—before we even open our mouth—matter. I advise my clients to wear something they feel great in, giving them a jolt of confidence that can help offset the nerves. And I recommend they wear comfortable shoes—or at least footwear that’s been broken in—because your feet are the ‘base’ for your speaking biomechanics to work optimally.
But there’s an even more fascinating reason your attire matters: it actually has been shown to affect your performance.
A 2012 research study on “Enclothed Cognition” divided participants into two groups: one group was instructed to wear a lab jacket that was described as a doctor’s coat over their clothes; the other group wore only their own clothes. Both groups were put through a test measuring attention capacity and processing speed. And the results were vastly different. The group wearing the “doctor’s coat” made half as many errors on the Stroop Test. That means wearing something we associate with intelligence (or another positive attribute) could give us a 50% advantage in our ability to focus over not wearing that item. That’s an edge every speaker wants! (Maybe that’s why the leadership speaker I mentioned above was wearing a white coat? Hmm.)
Since the biggest wins we get from our wardrobe choices are internal, these tips are relevant whether you’re presenting in person, virtually, or in a hybrid format. By choosing the right attire for the right reasons, we’ll be poised for success in every presentation we give.