If you are a speaker or someone doing video to promote your brand or business, no doubt, you have fabulous content to share! Video is compelling and a great way to communicate your brand and your story. But it is time consuming, it can be expensive and there’s a lot to consider.
One thing that can be overlooked – how you look. Take the time, even in a Facebook Live to consider your hair, makeup, and wardrobe before stepping in front of the camera. It can be SO easy to ruin a video by unknowingly wearing the wrong things. Take it from me, I am an expert on what to wear, but not without committing some faux pas along the way! In this blog I will share a few of them so you can avoid making the same mistakes I did. Here are 10 things you need to know to show up at your best for video:
#1 Wear your ‘wow colors” near your face
The colors near your face will either drain you of life or highlight your best features. There’s a palette of colors that look best on each of us and especially great on video. Some colors to consider: Your best red, green, and blue are usually great choices depending on the background.
#2 Stay clear of black and white
There are lots of reasons not to wear black and white. For one thing they make it hard for the camera to create an accurate exposure. This can be handled in post processing… But why take the gamble?
Also, white will commonly wash you out, while black is harsh and runs the risk of bringing attention to any circles or crevices. Yikes. Even navy runs this risk (exhibit A on the right there). I recommend bright crisp colors instead of dark ones.
#3 Be business brand free
This one is relatively self-explanatory: be sure to avoid wearing shirts that have visible logos, brand names, or loud text. These can be distracting for the viewer, so keep it brand-free!
#4 Show off your personal brand
As always, be true to who you are and what you want to communicate. Dress in a way that is consistent with how you look when your clients meet you in person.
#5 Wear solid colors and avoid patterns
Even subtle patterns can be a problem. They can be distracting and pull the viewers eyes away from you and they often create the moiré effect
(when lines on the screen look like the are moving).
<—Quel moiré faux pas ! (French for “what a moiré faux pas!”) 🙂
#6 Consider comfort a priority
Make sure you can move easily and freely, wearing lightweight garments that don’t make you sweat.
#7 Say yes to makeup but don’t over do it
The lights can wash you out but unless your personal brand is ‘glamorous’ you still don’t want to over do it. You’re not an actor on stage in front of an audience–today’s high definition cameras pick up everything (in fact, be sure to wear powder so you aren’t shiny, otherwise, you might end up reflecting the lights).
#8 Jewelry should be quiet
Big earrings and statement necklaces are great but if they move and jingle you don’t want them on the set.
#9 Avoid trends
Your video may be around for some time to come. Don’t date it with trendy clothes or styles.
#10 Don’t wear glasses unless the videographer confirms there are no shadows
Unless you are in a very controlled environment, don’t wear glasses. They cast shadows that can’t be avoided and can ruin how you look and distract from your message.
See how my red glasses cast a frightening shadow around my eyes?
Finally, do yourself a favor and always do a final bathroom double take. I recently traveled to L.A. for a conference and paid a nice sum to be video taped. I didn’t go on stage until midday. I looked in the mirror in the bathroom but there wasn’t a full length mirror so I only saw myself from the neck up. The videographer didn’t mention there was a big wrinkle across my tummy and a few others in my skirt. Geez. I know better. I’m an Image consultant… This will clearly be video I will never use.
So be sure to look in a full length mirror and check out your backside while you are at it.
Isn’t this better?
I had great success in all of these events even though the video wasn’t 100% what I wanted. So if you wear the wrong thing, don’t beat yourself up. It clearly happens to the best of us. But I share this so you can indeed learn from my mistakes and first hand knowledge. It makes a difference what we wear. And video has it’s own set of rules. Follow these easy tips so you know you will look amazing on video and can focus on all that compelling content you have to share with the world.
