Edith Head, a world-famous costume designer once said, “You can have everything you want if you dress for it.” How true that is! How we dress for presentations can have a huge impact on how your audience receives your message.
I am always reminding my clients, as they are preparing to give a presentation or a speech, to feel what they want their audience to feel. If they are energetic during their presentation, the majority of the audience will naturally be energetic as well. If they are telling a sad story, I remind them to speak in a solemn tone so the audience can feel the emotion.
The same goes for how you dress for a presentation. You can have everything you want in a presentation if you dress in the way you want your audience to feel. Believe it or not, colors have a subconscious effect on behavior and can help carry your message. Allow me to explain.
RED
Red conveys energy, power and passion. Wear some red if you know you are going to present to a potentially non-responsive or non-energetic crowd to wake them up to your message. In addition, if you want to convey authority or power, wear red to command the stage or room.
Black
Black conveys a very serious tone. It tells your audience that you will not take no for an answer. Wear this color if you are delivering your speech to an apprehensive audience.
White
White communicates honesty, innocence, and integrity. Lawyers often tell the defendants in courtrooms to wear white to have this subconscious effect on the jury.
Blue
Blue shouts trust. The darker the deeper the trust. Wear dark blue if you are trying to inspire belief in a new idea or concept.
Grey
This is a good middle ground. If you are not sure what you want your message to convey, err on the side of grey. :)
