Preparing for a public speaking engagement is stressful enough.
It can seem as though there are a million different things to think about, from who’s in the audience and what technology you’re going to need to what kind of questions people might ask at the end.
Speaking personally, I get stressed when I start to think about what to wear. I mostly work from home, where I just wear whatever’s comfortable, and that means that I’m out of my element when I put on a suit.
But does what we wear actually matter when it comes to public speaking?
That’s a good question. Let’s take a look at both sides of the argument.
First impressions count for a lot in the world of business. So if you’re speaking to a business-oriented audience then you’ll want to ensure that you’re dressed to impress. Try to make a good impression on both the event organizers and the attendees so you’re taken seriously. People have often decided what they’re going to think about your presentation before you ever open your mouth.
Building from the last point, if you want people to take you seriously and listen to the message that you’re sharing, you’ll need to look the part. People have their own ideas of what people should look like, and whether they’re accurate or not, they’ll think you’re more credible as a speaker once you meet them. For example, you’d expect an archeologist to look quite different from a pilot.
Most of us find that we feel more confident when we’re dressed to impress. When we look good and we know it, we walk with a kind of swagger that’s hard to fake, and this confidence can carry over to our public speaking engagements and allow us to feel braver when we take to the stage. In fact, dressing well is one of the first steps that experts recommend when people are struggling with stage fright.
One of the reasons why the suit has become standard wear in offices around the globe is that it provides a dress code that everyone is expected to follow. There’s only so much to distract people about a suit and tie, and it’s not as though they’re wearing a T-shirt with a funny slogan or a festival shirt that lists a line-up that people can sit there reading. If you’re wearing a plain white shirt and a suit jacket, it won’t distract people from what you’re saying.
Most events have photographers on staff, and it’s increasingly common for them to have videographers, often to live-stream presentations. When that’s the case, you want to look your best because you know it’s going to be recorded for posterity, and so it makes sense that you’re presentable. Often, you won’t know in advance whether the event is being recorded or not, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Some people just don’t look as though they were meant to be in a suit. I know that they don’t particularly suit me, if you’ll pardon the pun. I’m at my most authentic when I’m wearing jeans and a T-shirt, purely because that’s what I’d wear if I was given the choice. If I was asked to give a talk at the local arts center and showed up wearing a suit, people would know I wasn’t being true to myself.
When you’re giving a talk, the words you’re sharing should be more vital than what you’re wearing. If you’re too worried about what you’re going to wear to your big presentation, there’s a good chance that you won’t put enough practice into the talk itself. Sure, the clothes that you wear might be important, but they’re nowhere near as important as your message.
If you’re presenting online via Zoom or some other video platform, you may find that what you wear is less critical than it would be if you presented in person. You’ve probably heard stories about people who only dress smartly from the waist up because they know that’s all that’s going to be seen on camera. Sure, they might be tongue-in-cheek, but they’re also not far from the truth. I for one have worn a shirt and tie with tracksuit bottoms.
The setting that you’re presenting in can make a huge difference to the outfit you’re expected to wear. In informal situations, such as when speaking to a group of friends, the outfit you wear won’t matter. Consequently, if you’re talking to a group of runners at the start of a race, no one’s going to expect you to put on a suit and tie to give your speech and then to switch over into your running gear.
If you’re giving a talk on something physical and it involves a hands-on demonstration, it might not be practical to be kitted out in a suit and tie. For example, if you’re giving a talk on woodworking and you plan to use power tools, you should wear whatever you usually wear in the workshop. And going back to that example from the last point, if you’re talking to runners and explaining what they need to do to warm up, you’ll need to wear clothing appropriate to the task.
The chances are that you were hoping for a definitive answer at the end of this article, but the truth is that it depends. Sure, it often does matter, but there are also plenty of times when it doesn’t. As with many things, there’s no easy answer.
Or there is, but that answer is, “It depends.”
Now that you’ve heard both sides of the argument, we’d like to hear from you. Do you think that what you wear matters? And if so, should it?
As always, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments so that we can keep the discussion going. You can also follow us on your favorite social networking sites for more. We’ll see you soon for another article!
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