The key to a great interview is to dress correctly for the TV platform and audience. Secondly, the way you dress for a TV interview should stay true to your personal brand.
The old school advice for any TV interview would be to dress modestly and professionally – to wear safe and traditional styles. Boring! Gone are the days that only beautiful people in expensive wardrobes with perfect hair are on TV. Thanks to YouTube and other video platforms, it’s more important than ever to look like you.
So make sure to match your wardrobe with your brand and your professional role. The president of a stock trading company is going to dress a lot differently that a president of a construction company. But no matter what, it’s important to look your best. Below are some tips to ensure you rock your look during your next TV interview.
- Shower. Hopefully this is a given, but better put it here just in case. You always want to look your best and I promise a shower is the first step towards looking great.
- Wear deodorant. Smelling your best is also a good thing, so put on some deodorant. TV interviews can be stressful, but no one wants to smell your stress.
- Wear a jacket if you sweat. A jacket can hide embarrassing sweaty pits.
- Get a haircut and style your hair. Try to keep your hair out of your eyes. We want to see your face during the interview.
- Don’t wear stripes. Have you ever noticed when someone wears a striped shirt on camera it can look as if the stripes are moving on their own? It’s because the stripes create havoc for sensitive cameras, as they are hard for the camera to pick up on.
- Avoid solid white, red or black shirts. These colors can often look funny with set lighting and how the camera lens takes them in, which can be very distracting.
- Keep jewelry to a minimum. Jewelry can be distracting because it can reflect light and if you are wearing a microphone a necklace may clang against it making loud distracting noises. So if you are a jewelry store owner, just make sure to wear items that are not loud (no jangling bracelets) and necklaces that are shorter in length so they won’t hit a microphone that is attached to you.
- Wear fitted clothing that fits you well. Oversized clothing will do nothing, but well, make you look oversized. Also just wear an outfit that makes you feel like a million bucks. When you feel good it shows.
- Wear makeup. Aim for a matte finish – the key is to not look shiny or oily. If you don’t typically wear makeup, you may still want to apply some powder so you don’t shine.
- Moisturized lips. Men can easily apply chapstick to ensure their lips don’t look dry. Women should wear lipstick that doesn’t have a gloss to it (again to avoid being shiny).
Along with these tips, make sure you’ve got a message that is on point with your brand. Doing this along with looking your best will allow you to break through the noise and communicate in a way that makes the audience take notice.