The Ultimate Style Guide to Communicating Authority During Video Meetings
What should I wear for video meetings?
The Question of the Hour for professionals worldwide as many adjust to the new normal of work-from-home life.
My job as an image consultant is to help you create successful first impressions—and video meetings are no exception to this.
Preparing for a Zoom call requires more than simply throwing on a button-up and hitting “Join Meeting.” Even your go-to outfit for in-person presentations will need adjustments.
By following the style guide below, you’ll master the art of the video meeting and communicate authority to colleagues, clients, and management.
Don’t be a chameleon.
Before planning your outfit, choose your video meeting’s location so you can avoid matching the color of the wall in your call’s background.
For instance, if your walls are a deep tan, avoid wearing pieces in this color range. The floating head look is not one that will be taken seriously.
While you’re at it, clear your background space of any distracting clutter.
Know your why.
When advising clients on wardrobe and image choices, I always recommend starting with these questions first:
Where am I going?
What is my goal?
What you wear for one Zoom call might not be what you would wear for another Zoom call.
For instance, if you are delivering good news or need to command authority, incorporating small-to-medium doses of cobalt blue, raspberry, or lemon yellow will boost your message’s delivery.
If you’re conducting a coaching session or team meeting that requires others to participate, low-intensity colors like shaded grey, greyed pink, dusty blue, beige, and tan are non-threatening and invite your fellow meeting members to feel welcome in engaging with you.
Tone it down.
We all have a power color unique to our complexion that conveys authority. But brighter colors can create a glare and be distracting on camera.
For instance, if your power color is typically a bright orange or red, tone this down to a milder chestnut red to ensure other Zoom call members stay focused on the tasks at hand—and not on your bright blouse.
Avoid high contrast colors.
While bold design choices may be appropriate for in-person encounters, cameras have a difficult time with high-contrast colors and patterns. If your skin tone is fair, avoid wearing colors like black; if your skin tone is dark, avoid wearing colors like white.
Similarly, avoid large patterns, pinstripes, plaids.
Prepare for anything.
When you get dressed for the day, you are donning your armor, so to speak. You want to appear on duty, head-to-toe.
Professional attire is meant to convey a sense of seriousness—you are prepared and ready to provide value to your company.
But when you’re working from home and only interacting with colleagues through video meetings, it can be tempting to only prepare the part of your outfit that will be visible in the video and stick with casual leggings, assuming this will be off-screen.
Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security with this. What if something arises and you’re required to stand up during the meeting? You’ll want to be prepared with the appropriate slacks or skirt.
The last thing you want to do is to give the impression that working from home is causing your productivity to suffer.
Look fresh and healthy.
Ladies, a video meeting is not the time to experiment with smokey eyes or bold red lips. Instead, wear makeup that offers you a fresh, healthy look—in your customized color palette, of course.
Stick with simple jewelry—nothing that will make noise and distract other meeting members with the clanging of bangles.
Men, you don’t have an excuse, either. Go the well-groomed route: make sure your hair is brushed and your beard trimmed or freshly shaven.
Prepare your tech.
Three minutes before your meeting begins is NOT the time to hop on a call. Do your homework beforehand.
You should be fully prepared—tech included—the moment the meeting goes live.
Choose a location for your video meeting that is quiet, clean, and free of distractions. Log in 15 minutes beforehand to review the video image—you want to make sure that your camera is at or slightly above eye-level to avoid unflattering angles and double chins.
Always perform a test run on your tech before the call. Close out of your other programs on your computer to avoid distractions and sucking up your Wifi.
When speaking to your colleagues, look at the camera—not yourself. Stay engaged, just as you would during an in-person meeting. Keep your meeting notes near your camera to allow you to maintain your gaze with the camera.
More style guidance as you scroll.
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