Friday November 3, 2017
By Melissa Chan
Like it or not, it is our human culture that we need to Dress to Impress! Regardless where we are, what the occasion is, we need the right clothes to suit that particular moment.
Choosing the right clothes emphasises strongly on our personal branding. It reflects of whom we are, our personality, and confidence. Clothes played a role in influencing our mood and health as well.
We’ve heard that there is dress code for:
- Weddings.
- Formal dinner.
- Interview.
- Fitness.
- In the office or corporate.
- During a presentation and more.
In this case, how can we dress to impress for a fantastic presentation?
During a presentation, we would want our listeners to pay attention to the topic or subject which is presented. Human’s attention span lasts only for 20 minutes and you definitely would not want to waste the audience’s precious time focusing on what you are wearing or something else.
For a start, try avoiding wearing or doing these before a presentation.
Flip-flops, sandals, and stilettos shoes.
These shoes have two things in common, showing off our toes and they are informal. Flip-flops and sandals are great and comfy. However, it’s best to leave these shoes at home. As for stilettos, they are much suitable for evening wear.
Wear cover up pumps for ladies and for the men, a pair of leather shoes is good enough. But make sure the shoes are polished and do not looked like they are worn-out.
Sheer top, plunging neckline, and sequin.
You may feel comfortable in these clothes, but that does not mean your audience will be. Imagine if your audience is one of the top personnel or CEO of an organization. This is definitely not the first impression you want!
You have an estimated 20 minutes to present your topic; do you really want the entire room of people to focus on your see-through chest or bra?
A few dots of sequin are fine. However, you would not want to walk into a meeting room looking like a disco ball.
Heavy makeup.
Make-up is another essential item in our daily lives. Applying neutral tone makeup is the best as to accentuate your feature, looking neat and professional.
Having heavy makeup shows may give an impression that you are a party-goer. Same goes with no makeup at all! You are representing your company, so, you need to fit into that role.
As for men, if you have facial hair, make sure it’s well-kept and groomed.
Perfume.
Just like make-up, applying strong or too much perfume will make your audience feeling uncomfortable. When it comes to scent, it’s an individual preference. You may like the scent; however, another person may find it overwhelming.
Smoke before a presentation.
Avoid smoking at all caused before your presentation. Cigarette tends to leave a distinct tobacco smell which will linger on your clothes, hair and skin. Not to mention, your breath as well. Walking into a conference room smelling like tobacco may be overwhelming for some people, especially non-smokers.
Avoid eating greasy food, petai, durian, garlic and onions.
The unpleasant smell will make people lose concentration as they wanted to ignore and evade it. This will be their core focus until the smell fades away. By then, you have lost precious time on your objectives.
However, you may still chew some mint before your session starts. This helps to eliminate the smell or reduced it. And, drink plenty of water. Not juices, coffee or other beverages. Plain is the best to help you reduce bad breath.
Conclusion
Make sure you are comfortable during the presentation. Since you are the brief speaker, all eyes will be on you. Dress in something which allows you to move freely and you are comfortable in as well. It’s also important for us to keep ourselves well groom.
Since we are representating a company, we need to look that part. If not, how would your audience takes you seriously. As you build your confidence, it will be easier for you to capture your audience’s attention with your presentatio.
Melissa Chan is the editor for LisAffair.com, an entrepreneur and lifestyles news.