What to Wear at the Conference?

Want to know what to wear at the conference when you give a speech? Sometimes the best lessons come from watching others as they get it wrong. Or, perhaps get it right. Two recent speeches offer some timely reminders—and a few tips to add to our existing guide.

We recently spotted the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), who gave a speech in central London dressed in full uniform. Very smart. The setting was the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the talking shop for arms manufacturers and others. Quite appropriate.

His audience was largely civilian albeit with a few conspicuous military personnel in the audience. So his dress uniform fitted the occasion. And he wore the same uniform when he also spoke at the Munich Security Conference.

Dress for Power and Prestige

However, for press interviews the current Chief of the Defence Staff wears combat fatigues. Now it's not unfair to say that the Chief is a pen pusher who works in a vast Whitehall building that's filled with pen pushers who aren't wearing military camouflage. Still, people noticed. And people commented! Even so…he's not a civilian.

But, we do note how the Service Chief does wear full Service dress for his conference appearances. That's the equivalent of most of us wearing a business suit for the office. He's dressing for the room and the role he's in.

In our second example, Hannah Spencer—the new Green Member of Parliament for Gorton and Denton—delivered her maiden speech in the House of Commons. A significant and uninterrupted occasion for any new MP. Her attire? A vivid combination of lilac, bright pink and green. The speech itself made a strong point about the kind of people Parliament needs more of. But the outfit generated almost as much comment as the content. Some found it vibrant and intentional. Others found it distracting. A debate about whether it's fair to critique a woman MP's clothing choices followed—and arguably overshadowed the speech itself.

Certainly the social media commentary wasn't always very kind! But that's perhaps its very nature.

What to Wear at Your Event: Clifford Chance

With all the attention given to this maiden speech and the attire of the speaker, we reviewed the contents of the Clifford Chance, Presentation Tips for Women. A set of tips prepared by a professional woman for fellow professional women. The tips were right at the time, 13 years ago, and nothing's changed.

Dress for the Room

Your everyday working attire—however distinguished—isn't automatically right for every conference event. So, think about the conference room you're walking into, not just the role you hold.

Don't Let Your Outfit Steal The Show

You want your audience to remember what you said, not what you wore. That doesn't mean dressing blandly. It means being intentional. If your clothing is likely to generate comment—in any direction—ask yourself whether that serves your message or competes with it. Hannah Spencer's choice may well have been a deliberate statement. But if you're not making a deliberate statement, then the safest rule is this: the outfit should support you, the speaker, not distract.

Your Screen Recorded Appearance

More and more speeches are recorded, livestreamed or photographed. What works in a mirror can look very different under stage lighting or on a phone screen. Bold patterns can flicker on camera. Pale colours can wash out. It's worth a quick check before the day—even just a photo in the mirror—to see how your choice lands on screen as well as in person.

When you need help and assistance with your next public speaking event, then you'll find plenty of top tips for speakers here. Because with more than 100 top tips for speakers and presenters, there's something for every public speaking occasion. And when you want to develop your skills that bit further, you're always welcome to enroll on an online public speaking course in your own time.