5 Styling Tips to Rock Your Next TV Appearance

As a brand director and talent coach, I spend a lot of time helping rookies look good on camera. Here are five of my favorite styling tips to help you feel confident and look great next time you go on TV:

1) Wardrobe: Stick with solid colors and well-fitted clothing.

Patterns draw the eye away from your face and distract from your message. Don’t wear baggy, ill-fitting tops, but also stay away from skin-tight stretchy materials.

Avoid bright red or orange. Dark, solid items are universally slimming and flattering. (The only exception is if you have very dark skin, in which case lighter colors which contrast with your skin may be ideal.)

Wear what you’d wear to meet with a client and close a deal. Keep your wardrobe consistent to your personality and style.

Minimize flashy jewelry and accessories – don’t wear a watch, multiple rings, large earrings or noticeable necklaces. Jewelry is quickly outdated, and distracts the viewer’s eye.

Remember, the goal is to KEEP PEOPLE WATCHING YOUR FACE.

2) Style: the less skin showing the better – again, distracting the eye.

Pick a blouse with sleeves or wear a fitted jacket. Sleeveless will subconsciously draw the viewer’s eye away from your face. A V-neck is good, as long as cleavage isn’t visible.

The primary exception to this would be if you’re a fitness trainer or similar, in which case you should totally wear awesome workout gear for your videos!

3) Hair: Style your hair before arriving at the studio (unless your producer tells you otherwise).

Men, bring your favorite hair product and comb or brush so you can touch up as needed.

Ladies, bring a hair tie if you have long hair, so you can change your look up between videos. Keep your hair simple and pulled away from your face or at least out of your eyes.

4) Makeup: Wear neutral makeup, but wear it a bit heavier than you normally would – bright lights will wash you out.

Bring your makeup kit along to the studio. Bring three different shades of lipstick. Changing your lipstick when you change your blouse will make it look like a completely different outfit filmed on a completely different day.

Men: Make sure you’re clean-shaven and groom your eyebrows. Change shirts between videos, or wear a basic nondescript shirt and change your tie between. If you’re not wearing a tie, then change your sports jacket.

5) Moisturise your face well, for a couple of days before and drink lots of water.

Dry skin shows up worse under the lights. This includes YOU gentlemen.

These five quick tips will help you avoid overlooking small details that can make a huge difference in how you come across on screen.

Now go have fun on your shoot!