Dress for Success
The old saying is “that a picture paints a thousand words” and perhaps that
applies to the nonverbal picture that is painted by the speaker’s clothing. One
good “podium costume” can make a very strong statement to the audience. Although
the “perfect” attire will not guarantee success, the wrong outfit does guarantee
problems. An outfit should be carefully coordinated from shoes to shirt. It’s
also very important that nothing distracts from the message and if possible, the
outfit should attract others to the message. The following guidelines are based
on the findings of hundreds of public speakers who can speak from experience.
NOTE: Students must follow the SJUSD Appearance/Dress Code regulations at ALL
times. This includes travel to and from the tournament. The following are
not allowed:
· Baggy pants, saggy pants, pants that slide past the hips and expose one’s
undergarment
· Tube tops, strapless attire, and tank tops; all tops for all students should
cover the chest, the midriff and back areas
For Both Guys and Gals
1. Neatness Counts -- Detail is important because all eyes are on the speaker
and whether it is a crooked tie, a dangling thread, a hair out of place or a
slip showing, it will be noticed. Clothes should also not be wrinkled or look as
though they’re too big or too small for you!
2. Consider Distance -- An outfit looks quite different at a distance of twenty
feet; a well-coordinated outfit may become bland and may appear mismatched. When
trying on an outfit, back up from the mirror and gain the audience’s
perspective.
3. Never Wear Strong Patterns -- This will distract the listeners. In fact,
studies show that the bolder the pattern, the more the audience blinks and if
the audience is busy blinking it listens less. Even pinstripes are not
advisable. Consider wearing solid colors. The idea is to make the audience want
to look at the speaker.
4. Use Color Advantageously -- Deep, rich colors can enhance the tone of the
speech. The color choice should compliment the topic. Also be aware of the kind
of background you’re standing against. (Chances are it’ll be a chalkboard
because most rounds are held in classrooms.) Dark colors tend to make you “blend
in” with the background.
5. Be comfortable -- Your clothes should compliment you, the speaker. Clothes
should be comfortable to wear and move around in.
6. Balance Fashion and Formality -- Too much fashion can become distracting and
may distract the judge(s) or the audience from what you have to say. In the end,
you should look as though you took the time to dress well, because you care
enough about what you’re doing to look your best.
Just For Guys
- Wear a suit and a dress shirt. Grays and dark blues are good colors. If you
don’t own a suit and don’t want to buy one, a sports jacket with complementing
slacks will do.
- The
“I-woke-up-5-minutes-before-the-tournament-and-didn’t-have-time-to-fix-my-hair”
has always been an unpopular hairstyle with judges. Hair should be combed and
neat.
- No sneakers or sandals. Some form of dress shoes goes a whole lot better with
the suit look. Also, white socks are a no-no.
- Match! If your socks don’t match your pants, which don’t match your shirt,
which doesn’t match your jacket, which doesn’t match your tie, it looks as
though you dressed with your eyes closed. Ugh.
Just For Gals
- Girls are expected to wear skirts or dresses. Girls cannot wear pants in
competition.
- Clothes, in general, should not be trendy. It’s never bad to be dressed more
on the conservative side than the trendy side. Dressing conservatively doesn’t
mean your clothes have to be a drab, though! Rich colors such as red (as opposed
to loud and outrageous ones like fluorescent green) will help you stand out from
your competitors and that is most definitely a plus.
- Hair should be tied back in some manner so that it doesn’t fly in your face
during your speech -- even if you’re not moving around a lot.
- For more serious events (i.e. oratory, debate, impromptu, etc) business-type
suits give a more professional look.
- Skirts should not be too short.
- No runs in nylons. It might be a good idea to bring an extra pair to a
tournament.
- No shoes with very high heals. How high is high? Well, if you can’t walk at a
good pace without tripping and falling everywhere, it’s a pretty good indication
they’re too high.
- No sandals. Buy an inexpensive pair of pumps.
- Jewelry should be kept to a minimum, especially dangling earrings, noisy
bracelets, and gaudy rings because they tend to make noise and are distracting!
- HI’ers do not have to be dressed as conservatively as people in other events
-- fluorescent green and the like are still no-no’s, though.
- No bare midriffs.