Media interview advice – what to wear on television
It’s a question that we frequently discuss during our media training courses. “What should I wear for a TV interview?” It might sound trivial and even vain. But the truth is that what you wear when doing a TV interview and how you appear generally profoundly affects the impression that you create. Do we like you? Do we trust you? Are you our kind of person? Your audience will be considering all these questions before they even listen to what you’re telling them.
Essentially you need to ensure that nothing about your appearance contradicts or detracts from what you’re saying. Really, your clothes, your hairstyle and any jewellery that you’re wearing should complement your message and reinforce it.
Should I wear a suit and tie on TV?
In our media training courses for law firms, lawyers will often ask us. This is very much an art not a science, but we normally say that there’s no need to do so these days. Usually, a smart shirt and jacket will work well. We provide media training for lawyers who are appearing on TV to comment on a judgement that they’re not involved in or to explain the law to a general audience. Here there’s no requirement for a tie – Our media trainers, many of whom are experienced TV presenters and producers advise.
On the other hand, if you’re speaking outside a court, following a case that you’re involved in, then we would always recommend that you wear a suit and tie. In our media training for lawyers working in the media or tech industry we put people on camera looking less formal than when the participants on our media training courses for law firms are working in the corporate and financial fields. We recently helped prepare a solicitor to appear on breakfast television to talk about an important case, for instance. Here a dark suit and formal shirt was most appropriate.
In this case, our client was female, and this is another important consideration. During our media training courses we point out that on TV as with life, women typically have more options with their clothing, jewellery and hairstyle than men do. However, this variety means that there are more opportunities to get it wrong. The harsh fact is that even today, we tend to judge women on their appearance than we do men. Therefore, it’s more important than ever that women think about what they’re going to wear on television – and get expert advice on the subject.
What colours should I wear when appearing on television?
Many of our legal clients are used to wearing black in their professional life. The problem with wearing black on television is that it can be very draining. It means that the camera operator has to turn up the lighting. Not only does this mean that you have particularly bright lights shining in your face but even then, it won’t necessarily compensate for the darkness of your clothes. In one of our media training courses for architects, for instance, we advised a client to wear a coloured scarf on top of their black jacket.
“What about wearing a white shirt on television?” we were recently asked during one of our media training courses for lawyers. A white shirt is a great, classic look in most situations but white doesn’t work well on television. It is too glaring and can end up putting your face in shadow as the camera compensate for this brightness. Colours that work well on television include cream, pale blue, pink and other pastel shades. Grey works well as does navy blue, which, research shows people associate with trust and authority.
How much of you will they see?
Surprisingly, this is another consideration when thinking about what to wear on television. If you’re behind a desk then, obviously you only have to focus on how you look from the waist up. However, if you’re appearing on BBC Breakfast or another programme with a more relaxed format, then women need to think about the length of a skirt that they might be wearing. This isn’t always a good time for chaps to be wearing those funky, humorous socks that they were given for Christmas. They also need to ensure that their socks are long enough so that we are not looking at a bit of exposed leg. People need ensure that, just like their clothing, their shoes are not distracting or inappropriate.
When we deliver media training for architects, we’re very much aware that our clients work in a visual business. Design and aesthetics are very much to the fore. This is another reason why architects doing media interviews need to think carefully about what their clothing says about them and their practise.
What about wearing clothes with logos when appearing on television?
This came up recently during one of our media training courses for climate change organisations. The short answer is that it depends on the programme and the producer. Most TV news producers accept it if you wear a shirt, jacket, or fleece with a small, discreet logo while delivering a soundbite interview.
That said, if you wear a T-shirt with your logo emblazoned across it and you’re in the studio for a seven- or eight-minute interview, producers will probably see it as overkill. TV news producers recognise the time and effort you put into appearing on their show, so they often accept a small amount of publicity as a fair exchange. They also add captions to show the audience why they’ve invited you to comment or give an interview.
However, they’re very sensitive to allegations that they’re providing your organisation with free advertising. It’s the same situation when you are doing a radio interview. As we explain in our media training courses for architects, for instance, and our media coaching for climate change organisations, you can mention your brand once or twice. But if you do it more than that you’ll irritate the producer and the presenter.
What should I avoid wearing when appearing on television?
Having talked about what you should wear, let’s think about what you shouldn’t be seen in. As well as black and white, also be wary of red. It’s the colour of blood and that’s why it has such an immediate, visceral impact. In one of our media training courses for architects a young woman said that she would feel comfortable wearing red on television. The reason? She wanted to stand out and really have an impact. We admired her for this and given her age, her profession and her personality, it worked OK when we saw the final product a few days after the course.
You should also avoid jangly, prominent jewellery. This can be particularly distracting as your viewers focus on what is around your neck, hanging from your ears or attached to your clothing rather than listening to what you’re saying.
A final thought on what to wear when appearing on television.
In our media training courses for lawyers, we explain that studios or interview settings will likely fit you with a lapel mic. As the name suggested this little microphone clips onto a jacket lapel. It’s therefore a good idea if you’re going to do an interview on television to think about wearing a jacket or a top such as a V-neck pull over. This will allow the camera operator or the studio manager to attach the lapel mic easily and in a way that will allow it to pick up your voice and not scratch against fabric.
What to wear on television might sound like a trivial point when you’ve probably got something really important to say. However, when you get this small but key detail right, you help viewers focus on your message and stay engaged and persuaded by it. Come and talk to us about our media training courses for lawyers, architect and climate change organisations. Find out how we can enable you to create a great impression on television. You can follow us on LinkedIn here.
