What not to wear: the 6 biggest on stage wardrobe mistakes

What to wear can be a daily struggle, even more so when you’re about to give a presentation. You’ll be the centre of attention, so of course, you want to look and feel amazing! Trudy Nabuurs knows all about appearance. She is our Stage Heroes image expert. In this blog, she’ll tell you about the 6 biggest mistakes people make when choosing an outfit. 

Are you aware that up to 80 percent of business decisions are made based on non-business considerations? It’s all about human connection. You want to make a good impression, so it’s important to think about how you come across. Do you know how others see you? And is that in line with how you want to be seen? Wearing your power outfit will definitely help! This is one way to allow your audience to really see you. 

 

“Are you aware that up to 80 percent of business decisions are made based on non-business considerations?”

6 Most Common Mistakes

Do you know that feeling, standing in front of your wardrobe in the morning, overthinking what to wear for your presentation? After reading this blog, you’ll be sure to never make these 6 common mistakes again:

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Mistake 1: You Look Exactly Like Everyone Else

You come to your office and realize that your outfit is the same as someone else’s. Recognize this? I see this so often. All men in the office have the exact same look: a dark coloured suit and a white or light blue coloured shirt.

TIP: Dare to be different, set yourself apart! Wear something just as suitable, but shake it up a bit! Go for some interesting shoes, some outstanding socks or wear a tie that nobody else has.

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Mistake 2: Your Clothes Send The Wrong Signal

When your outfit doesn’t match what you say, it causes miscommunication. Say you are wearing a playful and light outfit, but you have to deliver a serious message to your employees – it might create a misunderstanding. Or when you are dressed in your working-from-home-hoodie whilst requesting a budget for an important project.

TIP: If you want to show others that you work clean, structured and well organized, let your outfit do the talking. Wear a high-quality suit with solid colours. Combine it with a pinstripe shirt and a straight-lined jacket. And, needless to say, you should make sure your clothes are clean, fresh and well ironed. That’s what we call walking the talk! Is your meeting online? Be careful with small prints on your shirt. It may dance around on the screen and distract from your message.

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Mistake 3: You’re Dressed Inappropriately For The Occasion

The etiquette of what to wear to work is changing, which sometimes makes it difficult to dress properly for a specific moment. Many occasions have varying dress codes so chances are that you arrive overdressed or underdressed. This creates a distance between you and the other people.

TIP: Before you go to an event, check what kind of outfit is appropriate. Is it informal or formal? A happy or a serious occasion? Do they serve cocktails or coffee?

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Mistake 4: Every Day Is Casual Friday

Are you an executive? Then dress like one. Wearing casual outfits at the office can undermine your authority: people might take you less seriously or won’t see you as their leader.

TIP: Create a mix between the level of formality of your company, your own position and potentially a customer’s company. Find something in between. As an example: the director of a pre-school might still dress less formal than the secretary of a law firm.

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Mistake 5: Your Clothes Are Distracting

You should wear clothes that show your personality, but sometimes people overdo it. When your outfit distracts people, because it’s too loud, doesn’t fit you properly or too suggestive, your audience won’t hear what you’re saying. Don’t let your outfit get all the attention. It will detract from your message.

TIP: Look for clothes that lift you up. Find the right colours and shapes for your body-type and skin-tone. You wear your outfit. Not the other way around.

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Mistake 6: Your Style Doesn’t Match Your Personality

Authenticity is really important! I can’t stress this enough: our clothes and the way we carry ourselves say a lot about our personality.

TIP: Dare to match your style with your personality – be authentic – and make an impact! Don’t wear something because others expect you to. Wear what feels and looks like you. Ask someone who knows you really well: “Is this me?”.

Tell The Right Story

Power dressing for stage moments is all about communication. The question is not whether you care about fashion or not, but how you’re intentionally or unintentionally communicating by your fashion choices. Your outfit tells a story. Make sure it’s the right one. It will enhance your reliability, credibility, and even your revenue.

Let’s Make An Impact!

Trudy Nabuurs works as the Master Integral Image Expert of the Stage Heroes team. She knows all about style, colours, shapes, fabrics and most importantly: how we communicate with our appearance. As an image expert and NLP life coach she trains and coaches professionals, freelancers and teams on how to be authentic, visible and how to make connections.

Want to know more about Trudy? Check her website www.be-uniek.nl

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