I had the opportunity to judge a speech contest recently. It was a Toastmasters area contest with only a few contestants, all with fairly good speeches and deliveries.
One contestant was especially memorable but for reasons that she probably would not relish. Her speech was okay but her dress made me wonder what in the world she was thinking.
The woman was a busy mom, a professional in a major company, and had apparently rushed home from work, perhaps to fix a hasty dinner for her family. She brought her young daughter to the contest and the little girl graciously accepted the fact that she was spending the night at an adult meeting watching her mom and others speak rather than relaxing at home.
The mother gave a good speech — engaging and inspirational in the way that most competitive Toastmaster speeches are. She had good gestures, an easy manner of delivery and a strong voice that only occasionally revealed her nervousness.
So what was the problem?
She wore a short knit top and was braless, leaving no details of her anatomy unrevealed. Had she put on a simple jacket or sweater, it would have been much easier to focus on her message rather than feel embarrassment for her personal revelations.
What lesson was she teaching her daughter about appropriate dress?
When I discussed this with my high-school-teacher husband, he said that the reason his school went to uniforms was because of the inappropriate dress that some parents allowed their children to wear to school.
I teach a business communications course in college where I tell my students that a big part of that all-important first impression is the way you are dressed. Your clothes are the easiest element of your presentation to control.
I believe in that old cliché, “You should not judge a book by its cover.” However, it should be obvious to speakers that if you don’t dress carefully for your presentation, your message may get lost by unintended distractions your appearance will create.
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