I was on a Zoom call last week with a senior volunteer. This person is a corporate leader and it looked like he was wearing a bathrobe on our call. I assume it was a velour track suit that doesn’t photograph well.
Unless you are someone senior enough to get away with inappropriate office wear, how you look on your video calls matters. And no one wants to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Here are some tips to get you through.
Think news
Not sure what to wear? A great place to start is by watching the news. You will notice how news reporters and anchors are navigating this tricky world of business casual. One thing that stands out is how subdued most news people are in their appearance. The way they dress is professional but not distracting.
Not distracting
It is worth thinking “is this distracting” when you are choosing what to wear. What is not distracting right now? I notice that very few men are wearing ties, many are wearing an open collar, crisp short with buttons. (Even now, wrinkles are not an option). Be a bit careful with the knit golf shirt particularly with a logo. Unless the logo is for the charity you work for, it is distracting to have a logo’ed shirt.
For men and women, take care with earrings. Dangling earrings move when you shake your head and attract the eye and take attention away from you. If you are going to wear earrings, go with stubs or small hoops.
For women, a plain shirt or top is a good choice. Generally something that is plain is great. Avoid necklaces which take the viewer away from looking at your face.
Minimal Make-up
Fortunately, the cameras on most computers are pretty low quality so wearing make-up is not as key as when you are in person. Honestly, a touch of lipstick is very high impact in this format. As the weather warms up, check to make sure you don’t look shiny which can make you appear sweaty.
Your camera is your new mirror
Five minutes before you go onto that call, be sure to check yourself using your camera. You may notice a detail about your appearance you will want to fix before you start. Just as it is always good to check your teeth for spinach or sesame seeds before a meeting, use your camera to check your appearance.
Dress-up Friday
Do you walk past your closet of work clothes and sigh? There is a trend called “Dress-up Friday” where many of us are wearing our work clothes and enjoying being dressed up for a change. Some are posting their #DressUpFriday photos on Instagram and Twitter.
Focus on your thoughts, not you
It is unclear how much longer we will be in this situation. With these tips, you can be prepared to make sure that what you say is the focus in a meeting, not how you look.
Ann Rosenfield has been Zoom calling, Microsoft Team meeting, and Webex-ing a lot recently. With thanks to Liz Rejman and Emma Jenkin for tips they shared on Twitter.
