How to dress up for a virtual meeting

Anne Ouko Onyango, a stylist and wardrobe consultant based in Nairobi. PHOTO| COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • According to the stylist, remote meetings put a lot of concentration and focus on your face. The hair, makeup and jewelry are key elements that one should consider when preparing for an online meeting.

Virtual meetings have become the new normal in conducting business or work meetings.

Sitting in front of a webcam needs proper preparation otherwise you may end up looking horrible on the other side. 

 According to Anne Ouko Onyango, a stylist and wardrobe consultant based in Nairobi, even in an online meeting, people will still judge you based on your appearances.

DON’T DRESS DOWN

The wardrobe consultant who is also a personal shopper notes that people should not dress down just because they are at home.

“Dress as appropriately as you would if you were in the office. You should be professionally dressed if you work in an organisation that requires that and vice versa. Do not be tempted to dress down in your pajamas and t-shirts,” Anne says, noting that one can wear comfortable bottoms and shoes as the camera can only show up the waist.

DRESS APPROPRIATELY

The stylist advices people to consider their different industries in their considerations.

“Depending on your industry choose what is appropriate. If you work in a more relaxed environment you can wear casual attire like a shirt, a sweater and some khaki or jeans, provided you look good and presentable.”

The consultant however warns against wearing striped or checked tops.

“Stripes and checks are not camera friendly. They appear distorted and blurry to the camera and are also highly destructive and dizzying to the viewer,” she notes, emphasising on the need to wear fitting clothes.

 “Wearing ill-fitting clothes whether too small or too big may cause buttoning issues. Remember these small things may cause embarrassment in a meeting,” she says, adding that one should wear clothes that are comfortable.

“Avoid tight clothes as they tend to be too clingy when you sweat. Very low neckline and transparent tops are also not appropriate,” she quickly notes.

For colour, the stylist, also founder of Anne De Brand, advices on the use of neutral colours for both men and women.

“Go with neutral or pastel tone colours. Cool-toned blues and generally colours that looks good on you are your sure bet. Avoid too bright or too dull colours as they tend to appear blurry on camera and may interfere with the quality of the image. For men navy blue or charcoal grey coat with a neutral shirt and a tie if there’s a need is a win.”

HAIR, MAKE UP AND JEWELLERY

According to the stylist, remote meetings put a lot of concentration and focus on your face. The hair, makeup and jewelry are key elements that one should consider when preparing for an online meeting.

“Wear the same kind of makeup you’d be careful wearing in the office. Colorful lipsticks and eye shadows should however be avoided,” she says noting that ladies should go for nude colours instead.

Before making your appearance on an online meeting it is important to ensure that your hair is neat.

“Do not wear hairstyles that cover your face and eyes.  Ladies should go for an up do or pullback hairstyles. Men on the other hand should avoid caps as this may cover the face and eyes,” she says.

While accessorising with jewellery makes ladies look more polished, the stylist notes that one should avoid heavy dangly or reflective jewellery, as this may act as distraction.

“You can only know your make is not too much or too little when you do a screen test. Set up you equipments and see what you look like beforehand and if you need to make any adjustments do so before your meeting,” Anne advices.

THINK OF YOUR BACKGROUND

 Doing a screen test before an online meeting is essential and especially if it is the first time you are doing an online meeting.

“It helps not only in checking your appearance but also in familiarising yourself with the device and making sure everything including the internet is working perfectly. Ann notes that it is important to spruce up your environment to make it look professional.

“Look for a space that is neat. Clean up the area and ensure that what’s what’s visible in your background is not too awkward or personal. For example, you do not want people to see your dirty laundry. A book shelf background would be more ideal. Whatever is on your wall should also be appropriate, and not something that will serve as a distraction” she says, adding that one should keep away from children, pets or anything whose behaviour they may not be able to control.