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I’m the kind of person who color-codes her closet – everything is hanging in rainbow order, and within each color, items are hanging by weight or sleeve length. I am not a fashion expert, but I take great pleasure in concocting an outfit that I feel comfortable in that also lets my personality shine. My style goals? To get away with wearing pajama-level clothes in public while not looking like I’m wearing pajamas. Bold lipstick helps.
I also have a collection of video-friendly outfits in my closet that I can throw on anytime I need to make a Facebook Live or record a course video. So what exactly does “video-friendly” mean?
What is a Video Friendly Outfit?
From a technical side, it’s a good idea to avoid small patterns (like dots or pinstripes) that can cause strange effects on video, as well as bright, vibrant tops, which can create a color cast on your face. More mellow tones and solids or large patterns can avoid these issues. Incorporating your brand colors is a bonus.
I also personally like clothes with a little bit of movement to them – things that will catch a light breeze or sway as you move around. Keep in mind that a little goes a long way: the goal is to add visual interest not create distractions.
But most of all, choose clothes that you feel GOOD in, that are comfortable and that make you feel like YOU. If you’re in an entirely perfect “video outfit” but feel out of place or uncomfortable in your skin, it will be hard to own it in front of the camera. Choose something you don’t have to be tugging at, continually adjusting or sucking in your tummy. We all have those outfits that we feel effortlessly fantastic in – that’s what you should be picking out for a video shoot.
Feel Good = Look Good!
Focus on smiling or thinking happy thoughts while you are on camera (yes, seriously – happy feelings will come out in your face). If you have to do any “acting” for your video, it’s easy to focus on your objectives and end up with a grouchy look on your face by accident. If you’re thinking wonderful thoughts (as Peter Pan would say), it’s so much easier to relax and enjoy your video experience.
Honestly, I do the best I can to make sure everything in my closet fits these criteria so that whenever I have to shoot a video, I can pull pretty much anything out of the closet and feel great in it. Even better, I sometimes employ a little trick I’ve lovingly called the “Skype Meeting Style Mullet” which is business on the top, party on the bottom 😉 I throw on some leggings or pajama pants with a tunic + a blazer then boom! I’m ready to go. It’s a good compromise between comfy and get-things-done if I’ll only be visible on camera from the waist up.
Just don’t get up for snacks in the middle of your call!
Upcoming Social Media Video Workshop! Register Now:
Video is becoming an increasingly important platform for brands to connect with their audience. Viewers are 10x more likely to engage with video content on social media; it can lead to a 2-3x increase in click-through rates from an email campaign, and can even increase your chances of winding up on the first page of Google search results (source). But more importantly, video storytelling creates powerful connections between you and the people you care about!
Learn how to make creating videos easy and fun at this new workshop from Evergreen Lane. Email me to register or learn more.
