HOW TO BE SEEN... STYLIST TIPS TO LOOK LIKE A SUCCESS ON VIDEO AND STAGE By Sharon Haver, FocusOnStyle.com 1
Style Check... You re ready! You prepped your talk, you ve practiced and practiced, know your topic like the expert you are, but WAIT. HOW WILL YOU PRESENT YOURSELF? Can you stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other experts you admire? WHAT THE HECK WILL YOU WEAR? Ugh, it s that nagging question that can get the best of us stymied when we want to make the right impression to look like the savvy and successful professional that we are. I ve created HOW TO BE SEEN, Stylist Tips To Look LIke A Success On Video and Stage to assist you in preparing for your next video shoot or speaking engagement so that you can confidently be seen in the right light to make your mark. Realizing that we now live in a visual world, everyday is our next photo op. Media is all around us in every shape and form. We no longer hide in the shadows of obscurity. This is your time to make your expertise propel you to where you want to be. As the face of your brand, you are it s initial compelling commodity and if you want to earn the cash you deserve, never forget that it takes under seven seconds to make a first impression. Meaning that the way you look and present yourself makes an important statement even before you ve begun to speak. Understand that video and stage are an extension of your personal style with subtle nuances to accommodate the medium. True style comes from instinctively understanding how to put the right puzzle pieces together. If you re everyday style isn t up to par, it will only be exaggerated on camera or on stage. Suddenly seeing yourself as others see you can be the tipping point that what the world may be seeing on the outside, is not who you are on the inside. The more at ease you are in your clothing, the more confident you appear on camera. Style and success are possible. You just need to say yes to moving forward. Peace, love and style, Sharon
Every single one of us forms first impressions, and every single one of us makes decisions about how those people are treated with that much information, Sheryl Sanberg, author of Lean In and COO of Facebook 3
INTENTION Your words and message matter but your first impression lasts forever. Look aspirational yet approachable. Always dress a cut above your audience to set an example. Look like a success if you want to charge like you are successful. Never look dated if you want to be considered relevant. If you want to stand out, don t look boring. Avoid anything overly trendy, regional, or kooky to appeal to a diverse audience. The Scientific American reports that studies show that the clothes you wear can affect your mental and physical performance. A growing body of research suggests that there is something biological happening when we put on a snazzy outfit and feel like a new person.
Dress like you have a personality- not a crazy or drab one, but a personality that clients will want to buy into. Don t look like you tried too hard. Don t look like you didn t bother. Style is about looking just right. Be respectful of your audience and their dress code. If you assume no will notice, no one will notice you. PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE, KNOW THE DIFFERENCE, YOU RE NOT FOOLING ANYONE, Larry Winget By all means, have style! Your clothing speaks a nonverbal language about a speaker s personality and background, use it to reinforce your business message. Stay on brand! Wear what is on brand for your industry and be consistent with it. 5
Business Insider reports that research shows that your appearance strongly influences other people's PERCEPTION OF YOUR FINANCIAL SUCCESS, AUTHORITY, TRUSTWORTHINESS, INTELLIGENCE, and suitability for hire or promotion. 7
SLEEK SILHOUETTES ARE ALWAYS BEST. AVOID ANYTHING OVERLY FLOUNCY, RUFFLY, BOXY OR GENERALLY DISTRACTING- YOU ARE CENTER STAGE. Shoes matter!!! On stage, shoes are extremely visible as you walk on stage or sit on a panel- make them count. Don t kid yourself, everyone notices icky shoes. If you stand behind a lectern or sit behind a skirted table concentrate on the parts of your outfit that the audience will see do not ignore your shoes. Think about how your outfit will look when seated and facing the audience that includes how you skirt rides up or the length of a man s socks when seated. On video, pay attention to where the camera breaks and be sure your outfit looks pleasing at that cut. THE FIT OF YOUR OUTFIT WILL PHOTOGRAPH DIFFERENTLY THAN IT MAY LOOK IN PERSON, TRY TAKING TEST SHOTS ON YOUR PHONE OR GET A QUICK SECOND OPINION.
WHAT YOU WEAR IS HOW YOU PRESENT YOURSELF TO THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY TODAY WHEN HUMAN CONTACTS GO SO FAST. FASHION IS INSTANT LANGUAGE, Miuccia Prada 9
Body shapers are a good idea for almost everyone on camera or stage as lighting and angles will exaggerate every bump, even your belly button in tight clothes. Make sure you don t pour out of your bra- front and back. There is no perfect color other than the one that looks best on you. Consider the background of the set and where your video will eventually live online. There are far too many differentials to be restricted by the lure of color analysis. Depending on your makeup, hair, tan or no tan, fabric texture, lighting, environment, or just your eye that day can one color look better on you or not. Hold your garment up to your face to see how the color looks on you, it s that simple. DO NOT WEAR STRIPES, COMPLICATED PATTERNS, BRIGHT COLORS THAT DISTRACT FROM YOU AND CAUSE ISSUES WITH LIGHTING. Darker colors can convey a more powerful impression than lighter ones. Avoid browns--- think of what that reminds you of- no, not the earth! Use a pop of color as an accent. Note that French blue looks good on almost every skin tone. Red looks powerful on stage. Just because you like a color, or look good in it in person (ditto for patterns), doesn t mean it reads well when they are 30 rows away. Think about brightness and color values as pure white, the brightest value, will draw the eye--or the camera--more than any other color. But, some TV lighting doesn t work well with pure white so ask the producer first. Try to wear a color that contrasts with gray so that you do not blend into the background when being filmed. Never wear green on a green screen.
Neutrals like BLACK, NAVY, CAMEL OR OFF-WHITE ALWAYS LOOK CLASSY AND CHIC for a core wardrobe but can be difficult on film- ask your producer if they have any restrictions. 11
Compliment your wardrobe colors with the video set or stage design. Consider where you will use the video later so that your outfit reflects the overall design of your website. On video, red jackets, which many women wear as powerful symbols and to stand out, can bleed at the edges--a distraction for the viewers. And patterns like stripes, checks or plaids can appear to move, a real audience distraction. Dressing professionally and on brand for your industry signals that you have it together and are organized, if your clothes are clean, pressed, and professional, it shows that you went the extra effort to be prepared... just like you want them to think about the quality of your work. IF SOMETHING DOESN T FIT CORRECTLY, INVEST IN SOME QUICK TAILORING, NOT ONLY WILL YOU LOOK AND FEEL BETTER, YOU WILL LOOK MORE PULLED TOGETHER. Plan for clothing malfunctions and mishaps as they can happen at the most inopportune of times - bring safety pins, a sewing kit, a Tide stain stick, a lint roller, and more importantly - a backup outfit. Keep accessories and jewelry simple and minimal as they should be used as flourishes, not overt statement makers. Avoid clunky jewelry, dangling earrings, or anything that distracts from you and interferes with mics. Shiny fabric and blingy jewelry not only distract from you on camera but can also cause a distracting glare.
SMALL JEWELRY MIGHT NOT BE VISIBLE, WHILE JEWELRY TOO BIG IS AGAIN - A DISTRACTION, SO DISCOVER THE FLATTERING LENGTH FOR YOU 13
EVEN I DON T WAKE UP LOOKING LIKE CINDY CRAWFORD, Cindy Crawford
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A bolder yet natural color lip looks better on video. Bleach your teeth, use teeth whiteners, whatever you can... It takes years off your appearance. Bring tissues to dab perspiration during breaks. Use antiperspirant to avoid sweat stains. Update your hairstyle to take years off your look, but remember to keep it simple and make sure it stays in place and avoid shadows by keeping it off your face. Unkempt hair is amplified on camera and on stage. Makeup not only brightens your face and enhances your features but also helps to reduce the glare of lights. Avoid goopy, iridescent or super glossy makeup on camera. Do not excessively tan or faux tan if you want to be taken seriously. KEEP YOUR HAIRSTYLE SIMPLE AND MODERN SO IT DOESN T OVERWHELM YOU. Take pictures of yourself and quickie videos to see how an outfit looks on you. Think of yourself as a stranger and imagine how they would describe you. It may work at home but does it work on the big screen? Go global with your local. Be ready to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with your idol to sit on the stage of a national morning show, at a moment s notice.
WHEN IN DOUBT, LEVEL UP! 17
ABOUT SHARON Sharon Haver teaches fellow entrepreneurs, speakers, and authors to look their best in a way that s relatable so that they can be on top of their A-game to earn and deserve six-figure pay days. You may know her as the style entrepreneur and founder of FocusOnStyle.com, where she s been sharing her fashion stylist tips online since 1999. Sharon s new book StyleWORD, Fashion Quotes For Real Style is the stylist express for high-impact style and fashion advice that gets to the point. As the creator of the C est Chic Crash Course, she helps women think like a stylist and rule their own personal chic with her signature step-by-step style mentoring system based on her three decades in the style industry.
As a leading New York fashion stylist Sharon s work ran the gambit from styling Vogue covers with major jewels and couture clothes to making polyester sweats look great in ads so that you would actually want to wear them. Sharon entered the styling profession because she felt a boost in her self-confidence when she dressed in a way that not only flattered her figure but created a rich look on her modest budget. She wanted to share that feeling of personal triumph with other women rather than the fantasy that she was creating on the photo set...... because her heart is with the everyday person, like you and me. Sharon shared her behind the scenes insider tips and tricks in her Scripps Howard News Service fashion advice column that was distributed to 400 newspapers each week. FocusOnStyle.com, now in its 17th year online... way before the job description fashion blogger was ever coined. All this has brought Sharon a wealth of opportunities including starring as herself in her own national Macy s TV commercial and headlined in an anthology lifestyle book alongside other writers like President Jimmy Carter and Gloria Steinem. As a fashion and style expert, Sharon has been featured in hundreds of television, radio, print, and online media such as Real Simple, CNN.com, Martha Stewart Radio, Oprah.com, ELLE magazine, WeightWatchers.com, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, WebMD, Disney Family.com and many more. You can find her full bio here: http://www. focusonstyle.com/about-sharon-haver/= The print column in combination with her B.B.A. degree in Marketing and entrepreneurial spirit lead the way for bootstrapping I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO CONNECT! Book your complimentary Get Style Laser Coaching Session here: www.focusonstyle.com/getstyle Any questions? Please email team@focusonstyle.com 19
Copyright 2016 Sharon Haver TM, distributed by FocusOn- Style.com; Poodle Productions Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this may be copied, published, broadcast or otherwise distributed or reproduced without prior written permission of Sharon Haver, FocusOnStyle.com TM, Poodle Productions, Inc.