It’s obvious that, even as the world opens up and more in-person events are taking place, virtual meetings are here to stay. Most of us will continue to do business on Zoom as we’ve experienced the greater reach and connection we can have with the virtual platforms.
I’m sure you’ve also noticed that your wardrobe needs are different for Zoom than they are for in-person meetings (yes, even beyond what you wear on the bottom). In a virtual setting, you have less space in which to make an impact so it’s extremely important to have a dedicated Zoom wardrobe. But…
No need to panic! I promise I’m not suggesting you have to buy a wardrobe specifically for your virtual meetings, but I encourage you to take a few minutes to plan your approach ahead of time.
What I’ve been hearing from many women is that, when it comes to being on Zoom, they often simply toss on whatever is handy and head for their computer. Perhaps this is because they don’t actually have to leave the house to do business and only a small amount of their body is being seen, but they’ve admitted they aren’t giving as much advance thought to what they are wearing.
In some cases, this might work perfectly well, but that’s not what I’m hearing from my clients. They’ve realized they aren’t feeling excited about how they appear in their virtual meetings and this feels distracting to them. They want to feel more comfortable and proactive about their wardrobe choices.
What are the benefits of having a Zoom wardrobe?
- You can get dressed quickly and with ease (AND feel good about how you show up).
- You’ll stand out in an authentic and positive way.
- Perhaps the best of all…often you can repurpose things you might otherwise get rid of (more about this in a minute).
Let’s look at each of these a bit more in-depth.
1. Get Dressed Quickly and with Ease
One of the biggest roadblocks to feeling good about what we wear is not taking the time to create outfits we love ahead of time. Believe me, I understand. The last thing we have time to do when we need to run to a meeting is sift through all the clothes in our closet and try on a million things. We want to get dressed and go AND feel good.
You can have that effortless experience, but it takes a little preparation. When you don’t have go-to outfits arranged, it’s easy to grab the first thing you see that’s acceptable and head to your desk. This might feel effortless in the moment, but it probably won’t give you that confidence you seek.
If that has been true for you, but you’re not sure what to do next, stay tuned and I’ll share a few ideas below to inspire you!
2. Stand Out in an Authentic and Positive Way
If you’re attending a virtual meeting, especially if you are an entrepreneur or work in a client-based business, you want to make a positive impression AND feel good about how you look. This allows you to focus on the reason you’re in the meeting rather than feel distracted by what you’re wearing. And, when you’re dressed authentically, it’s often easier to make a genuine connection more quickly. This is partly because you feel more self-confident and project that ease and also because you are giving the person with whom you are meeting visual clues as to who you are. Dressing authentically is an incredibly powerful business tool!
3. Repurpose Items in Your Wardrobe
Unless you have to stand up a lot in your virtual meetings so you’re seen head to toe, you are generally visible only from the chest or waist up. So, this is where you want to concentrate your efforts.
Look through your wardrobe. Perhaps you have a top that you aren’t wearing anymore, but you love the neckline, the color or print or the fit from the waist up. Repurpose it to a Zoom outfit.
Here are a few possible examples and scenarios below:
Let’s say you have a top in a gorgeous, flattering color (like the one below), but you’re not a fan of the smocking at the waist so you never wear it. Now you can wear it on zoom with a simple necklace or sometimes the color alone can be enough to make you feel fabulous.
How about this dress? Imagine it used to be one of your favorites, but now you aren’t as comfortable in that length. You have been reluctant to let it go because you love the color and print. Wear it on Zoom and the length won’t matter!
You bought this dress because you loved the color (it’s actually a color that looks good on a lot of people), but you feel boxy in it. The problem is you forgot to return it so now you own it. You don’t want to get rid of it because you spent money on it and, in this case, you can still make it work. Repurpose it into a beautiful Zoom outfit.
It could be you have a stain or rip in the bottom of one of your favorite tops which has rendered it unwearable. Or has it? If you are going to remain seated and the rest of the garment is still in good repair you can get wear out of it on Zoom.
Perhaps your go-to look is a simple t-shirt, but you want to elevate the look a bit for your Zoom meetings. While a necklace or scarf is certainly one option, how about adding a detachable collar.
Add a simple white (or colored) collar to a colored t-shirt:
Or, you can even get a bit playful with your collar like this one:
As with any aspect of your wardrobe, you’ll be so happy when you plan ahead a bit and have 3 or 4 (or however many you want) outfits complete and ready to go for the next time you hop on a Zoom call. It will save you time, buoy your self-confidence and reduce your stress every time you get dressed!
Of course, none of this matters if you don’t have a Zoom set-up that lets you be seen clearly and shine. If you aren’t sure how to do that, be sure to watch my ‘How to Look Good on Zoom’ video by signing up here.
Enjoy the best of both worlds – in-person and virtual!
If you find you need more support, you’re in luck. Check out my popular 6-week class (www.createyourpersonalstyle.com – the next one begins April 27, 2022) or my upcoming 4-week virtual closet-cleaning class (coming June 2022) (www.ClosetChaosToCalm.com). I would be truly delighted to help you enjoy your wardrobe to make getting dressed more fun and gratifying!
