There are some definite “do’s” and “don’ts” when it comes to what to wear when you present. I’ve found that it’s always good to go back to a BASIC look; your Believable Appearance is Simple and your Image is Conservative. You’ll find that the more conservative you dress, the quicker the audience will accept your credibility. The bottom line when it comes to your “dress”, it shouldn’t overshadow your message. Let’s break your overall appearance into distinct sections; the face, accessories and the outfits.

Let’s begin by focusing on your face. The face is responsible for delivering your message through the voice and facial expressions. When your audience looks at your face, they see three different elements: your skin, your hair and any eyewear.

· Ladies: make sure that you put on make-up close to the same lighting that you will have in your presentation venue. If you present under bright lights, make sure that you use powder to eliminate facial glare.

· Men: make sure that you are clean shaven. Unless your beard is extremely close shaved, your facial expressions effects and influence on your audience may be lost with a thick beard.

Your hair must be groomed and not interfere with your facial expressions. Any hair style that you have should not shift focus from your face to your hair.

· Ladies: if you have long hair, pull it back. You don’t want your hair inadvertently covering your face.

· Men: keep your hair short and cut in a traditional style. Long hair on guys is not going to be received well in a business presentation.

If you have to wear correctives for your eyes, I’d opt for contacts over glasses. When you wear glasses, you run the risk of the audience not being able to see any expressions that you make with your eyes. With contacts, the audience can see all the expressions that you make.

If you have to wear accessories, make sure that they don’t distract from the presentation.

· Ladies: collars and necklines shouldn’t be revealing. Be more conservative. Make sure that any ear rings or bracelets you wear aren’t so reflective that they distract your audience. Remember to be professional.

· Men: don’t wear that cartoon tie that your kids (or mother-in-law) gave you for last Father’s Day. These take away from credibility (so do bow ties).

When it comes to our clothes, make sure that your presentation suit fits properly. If it’s too loose, you’ll be perceived as sloppy, if it’s too tight, it will be hard for you to move comfortably. Think conservative and stay with solid colors (dark blue to medium gray). It wasn’t until my wife pointed it out, but complexion and clothes color can affect each other. Make sure that you match your presentation clothes to your complexion.

Shirts/blouses should fit for comfort, but make sure that you leave the short sleeves at home. When not wearing a suit (jackets/blazers), make sure that when you combine separates that you maintain a solid line of color from the floor to your face. This way, the attention is focused on your face.

· Ladies: you can vary your colors a little more than the men and you have the option of leaving your jacket unbuttoned.

· Men: your shirt should be lighter than your suit, the tie should be darker than the shirt (you can never go wrong with white). Remember to keep your jacket buttoned.

Clothes from the waist down must allow for comfortable movement. Stay away from separates since they give the perception of being “less formal”.

· Ladies: wear stockings that minimize audience attention to your legs. Remember to keep that “solid line of color” to the floor. Make sure that you maintain a “credible” hemline.

· Men: wear socks that match the pants of your suit and are long enough to cover your calf.

Any footwear that you use HAS to be comfortable (looking good doesn’t hurt either). Believe it or not, people will make perceptions of individuals based upon their footwear. Keep your shoes cleaned and shined. Ladies… In presentation circles, heels improve credibility. I’d recommend that you wear shoes with one to two inch heels.

When determining what to wear for that next presentation, you might want to use the following method to determine exactly how formal you need to appear.

· when it doubt, wear a suit

· make sure to dress at least one notch above your audience. By wearing clothes that are “one step above”, you look the part of authority.

The bottom line… make sure that whatever clothing you choose to wear to deliver your presentations doesn’t detract from the overall effectiveness of your message delivery. Make sure that you check yourself out in a mirror prior to your next presentation. If you’re still unsure, ask a friend or colleague… chances are they’ll tell you the truth.