What to wear when appearing on TV
My picture with Nadia A. Samin. Nadia is the Producer of Channel 5, Talking Point, discussing some of the hot topics in Singapore.
With the economy being more volatile these days and job situations uncertain, I was interviewed by Nadia on how I moved from a corporate job with an MNC to freelancing and to setting up my own company.
The episode can be viewed online: http://tv.toggle.sg/en/channel5/shows/talking-point-2016/episodes
The night before the interview, I was wondering what to wear. I knew I made the right choice when I received the following text message the day when the program would be aired.
Hi Lily (: Talking Point will air tonight a 9.30pm on Channel 5. The other producers say you come across as a really awesome profile. BTW (: the pink jacket did the trick!
So, what attire considerations do you need?
Here are 10 golden rules to guide you on what to wear when appearing on TV or screen:
- Avoid blacks and reds. Black look overly serious and mournful while reds bleed on screen and the outlines become blurry.
- Be careful with whites. If the background of the interview venue is also white, you will fade into the background. In the interview, notice that I wore a pink jacket so that I stood out in a busy outdoor scene.
- Avoid stripes and checks. These lines are not well picked up on screen and can look shaky causing distractions to the audience.
- Makeup is a must for ladies. It helps you look healthy and energized. Sometimes, even men are given light makeup when appearing on TV to avoid looking pale and sickly.
- Socks that cover the calves for men. No skin on the legs should be observed when a man crosses his legs. Socks colour should be kept close or darker than trouser colour. No white socks please!
- The fit of a jacket is very important. When seated, the collar of the jacket must fall neatly against the nape of the neck or collar of the shirt. There should be no gaping hole between jacket and shirt. Similarly, the lapels of the jacket must lie close to the chest without any gaps. These details become magnified on close-up screening.
- Keep it simple. Avoid too many accessories and jewellery. These items glitter on screen and are distracting. You want the audience’s attention to be on you and your interview, not on what you wear.
- Avoid lips gloss or shiny hairspray. Just like metal accessories, glossiness will appear oily and shiny on screen.
- Use loose powder to dust off the shine on nose and forehead to avoid unnecessary reflection.
- Blue works wonders when appeared on TV. Wear your best shade of blue.
