When a photographer approached me after a big talk I did recently in Copenhagen, I was concerned.
I thought I was going to be told off.
That’s happened before, you see:
I wander around the stage a lot, which can make life difficult for photographers.
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But actually, no. She said she liked me moving around, as it made the photos feel much more dynamic.
Yet there was something even more surprising she wanted to say:
- She loved the colour I wore.
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To be honest, that wasn’t surprising so much as shocking.
I can’t remember anyone ever - EVER - praising my fashion sense before (perhaps understandably).
In fact, a great friend once said:
- You found a style you liked in the mid 1980s, and have stuck with it ever since.
Stung, I wanted to argue, but quickly and sadly realised he was probably right.
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Anyway, back to colours and public speaking.
The photographer said my choice of top, the mid blue you can see in the picture, was perfect for a presentation.
It looked serious enough for gravitas, but also felt energetic and engaged, along with offering a hint of character.
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I so wished I could have replied:
- Of course, that's exactly the carefully planned effect I was intending.
But given it would have been one of the world's worst lies, I resisted.
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To be frank, I had never really thought about the right colours for presentations before.
But I’ve come to the conclusion our wise photographer is right.
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Many people seem to wear black, or at least very dark clothes when public speaking.
Maybe that’s designed to convey seriousness.
But I have a sense it can make them look dour, downbeat, and lacking in dynamism.
Dark tones also mean a presenter is more likely to blend into the background, when you want the audience's attention to be on you.
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So brighter colours seem to work best.
Not necessarily fluorescent shades, of course.
You need to remain credible, and have the audience listening to you...
Rather than being distracted and gossiping about your flamboyant choice of wardrobe.
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It's a small point, admittedly.
Content and character will always be more important in public speaking.
But if a smart choice of colour can offer an easy added advantage, particularly when you're giving a big presentation, why not take it?
