You’ve done the hard work to successfully prepare for your speech or presentation and the big event is approaching. Let’s discuss how to choose a winning outfit to make you feel comfortable, and confirm you leave a lasting impression with your audience. I am going to break down various scenarios you may encounter for your next presentation – whether it be a formal business meeting, virtual presentation and everything else in between.
You Want to Consider These Three Questions to Help Make Great Choices
- What is the dress code of the company / audience to whom you are presenting?
- Is the presentation for your company or as a guest for another company / audience / event?
- What is your presentation topic and/or brand?
Let’s break these down…
1. What is the Dress Code of the Company / Audience to Whom You are Presenting?
Most companies and places of employment have a dress code in place. More specifically there are guidelines that outline what can and cannot be worn by employees during business hours. Additionally, specific events such as a multi-day conference or an industry training session often have a recommended dress code for participants. Event dress codes are more recommendation than requirement but people typically want to make sure they are dressed in appropriate clothing for the situation.
Event and Company Dress Codes *Typically* Fall into One of the Below Categories.
Keep in mind of course that every company and event may approach dress codes a little differently.
1) Casual: T-shirts and jeans allowed. Casual has the least number of restrictions or guidelines. Most companies don’t allow shorts. Examples: Technology companies, manufacturing, service companies, graphic design firm.
2) Uniform: Employees wear a uniform that is provided to them or that they purchase on their own. Examples: Hotels, Quick service restaurants, airlines, medical establishments.
3) Business Casual Attire: Collared shirt for men (short or long sleeves) is typically a basic requirement as well as no jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts or shorts for all. Business casual is a pretty broad category and many companies fall into this category. Often employees will wear company-issued “logo wear” that may include a button down shirt, pullover, vest or polo shirt with the company logo displayed. Examples: Advertising and marketing firms, non-profits, creative industries.
4) Business Attire: We are taking our business casual wardrobe up a notch. Again no jeans, t-shirts, sweatshirts or shorts for all and some of the aforementioned “logo” wear may be too casual with the exception of a button down shirt. Men and women will typically wear a sport coat or blazer with their outfit. You may see some full suits in the mix but typically men are not wearing ties. Examples: Education institutions, architecture firms, professional service firms, staffing firms.
5) Business Formal: Employees typically wear conservative business suits; often the men will wear a suit and tie; women may hear high heels though flat shoes can absolutely be business formal as well. Examples: Law firms, banks, accounting firms
6) Black-tie Event: Men typically wear a tuxedo and women wear cocktail dresses or gowns. Examples: Fundraiser, award ceremony
I’ll start with my General Rule for picking the right presentation outfit and as you read more, you’ll learn that there are exceptions to this rule.
General Rule for Commanding Attention and Making Strong First Impressions with your Choice of Clothing
If you are giving presentations at your own company or at another company / venue as a guest, it is generally a good idea to elevate your presentation outfit one level above the company or audience’s dress code. You want to make a positive impression right away and appropriate attire for the audience or situation can make all the difference. Also, dressing one level above the audience conveys a level of professionalism and respect.
For example, let’s say you are giving a presentation on financial planning to an audience of members of your church. The event is in the evening and therefore some members of the audience will likely be coming from home and be casually dressed while others may be more dressed up if they come directly from an office. To err on the side of caution and ensure that you present the best version of yourself, plan to dress more formally – in line with business attire. Additionally, since financial planning is a more formal industry, you’ll want your wardrobe to be on point with your brand.
After you have identified the dress code for your audience, move on to…
2. Is the Presentation for your Company or as a Guest for another Company / Audience / Event?
Even if you are giving a presentation to colleagues at your own company, picking the right outfit can help capture the audience’s attention and set the right professional tone. You want to convey a sense of authority for your presentation topic which is why elevating your physical appearance or dress code above the company norm will set you apart.
Examples where you might present at your own company (either virtually or in-person)
- Human resources manager conducting a new hire presentation
- Training session to employees
- Presentation to executives to report findings for a specific project
If you are presenting to your peers at your own company, it is perfectly acceptable to dress in alignment with your company dress code however, I do recommend making even small enhancements to elevate your look slightly. Reason being, you want to separate yourself and be viewed as an authority who can command the attention of the room.
Example: You are a Benefits Manager giving a presentation on next year’s benefits package to an audience of your peers. Your company dress code is casual and therefore many in the audience will be wearing jeans. It would be perfectly acceptable for you to also wear jeans but consider adding a blazer, sport coat, fun shoes or statement jewelry to stand out from your peers and become a true focal point. This is a great opportunity to let your personality shine.
Examples where you might present as a guest at another company (either virtually or in-person)
- Sales professional giving a presentation or demo
- Guest speaker at a conference or special event
- Contract employee or consultant presenting outcome of work
- Consultant speaking to a group of professionals (eg. public speaking coach providing a training session)
If you are presenting at another company, make a more concerted effort to elevate your look above the dress code of the company. You want to stand out from the audience and command presence and your dress code is a great way to do that. Exception is if you are presenting to a company that has a business formal dress code. No need to elevate and wear a tux BUT, still try and differentiate yourself. If most of the team members wear dark suits, maybe you wear a light suit or a fun colored professional dress. Statement pieces are usually a win as well.
Moving Right Along…
3. What are You Presenting / What is your Brand?
While the General Rule is to elevate your look one level, you also need to be “on brand” with what you are presenting so here is where those exceptions come into play. For example: let’s say you work at a travel planning company and you are presenting researched options for a President’s Club trip to a corporate executive at a finance company. Even if the finance company has a conservative dress code, it is perfectly acceptable for you to have a more laid-back look that aligns with your OWN company brand. In this example, you may opt for slacks and a sport coat / blazer vs. the suit that your audience is wearing. As a vacation planning specialist, you want to help the audience start to get vacation vibes by talking to you rather than be reminded of everyday office life.
Another Example: You are a guest speaker at an annual conference for a company. The audience is a company sales team and the conference attire is business casual. You are a former athlete giving a presentation on motivation, hard work and consistency. Dressing in sportier attire that includes sneakers would align well with your company brand and presentation topic.
This chart details which wardrobe pieces *typically* fall into each business attire category. If you are presenting to a casual audience, look at the choices in the “Business Casual” section so that you are correctly elevating your attire.
Final Step – Make Sure your Appearance is Crisp and Wrinkle Free
You’ve now picked the right outfit for your audience and your brand. Final step is to make sure that what you wear is crisp and freshly ironed or steamed, if needed. A wrinkly shirt or dress with visible folds will detract from your appearance. Many items from online retailers arrive folded which can present hard to remove fold lines. A steamer will literally change your life and can get rid of even the toughest wrinkles / creases without damaging the fabric or taking a ton of time. I have both a stand steamer and a hand held steamer. I use my stand steamer almost every day so it is absolutely worth the investment. My hand held is used more for travel but can absolutely do the job as your full time steamer. Below are links to the same brands of steamers that I currently have and love.
This post contains affiliate links.
You got this!! Be confident and know you are prepared and capable to deliver a winning presentation that leaves a lasting impression.
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