What to Wear On TV

Don't wear a lot of red or white - a white shirt under a blazer is fine, but white shirt & blazer will not look very good on TV.

If you have very dark skin, and you wear mostly white, it becomes difficult for the camera to pick up all the detail in your clothing and face - medium shades of clothing are better.

Don't wear light bright green, ie green-screen green, chances are you won't be in front of a green screen but better safe than sorry. In front of a green-screen, anything that is green becomes invisible - eg. "keys out".

Men
Don't wear your outdoors coat when appearing on TV. Don't wear a leather jacket or a jean jacket. Don't wear a buttoned cardigan unless you're over 65.

Wear a blazer. Wear a collared shirt. A dress shirt is better than a collared shirt, you don't need a tie unless you're a politician.

A golf shirt is better than a shirt with no collar, a golf shirt with a blazer looks better.

A turtleneck might cause problems if they are using a lavalier mic - it clips on like a tie clip. If you wear a sweater, a v-neck or crew neck works best.

Wear nice pants and nice shoes - you mightn't see these on TV, but then again, you might.

Women
Don't wear a short skirt, you might be perched on a chair.

Don't wear anything sheer, even if it's dark fabric - TV lighting is bright and you never know where the lights are pointed at, and what they might reveal.

Wear a blouse rather than a dress - the mic cable must be run up the back or front of your garment, comes out of your neckline and clipped on to your clothing. A skirt or pants are a safer bet, you might need the waistband to clip on a mic battery pack.

A turtleneck or floppy elaborate neck might cause problems for where the mic gets clipped on. A crew neck, v-neck, or a blazer are optimal for putting on a mic.

Don't wear jewellery that will jangle or clatter or swing - a better bet is to wear a colourful scarf. Your necklace might swing and hit the clip-on mic, and bangles that clatter at every move of your hand can distract from the reason you're on TV.

Don't talk too long! Watch for cues that your time is up. Get your message out concisely. It can look awkward if the host is trying to get you to stop talking and you add "and for another thing..."