De-stress your presentations

26 Jul, 2012 by Sepi Roshan

Confident speakers use a combination of tools and techniques to get their audience on side. One is to make the right first impression. To start off well allows you to settle into your presenting more easily and gain confidence more quickly. You control the room better and the audience is happier to engage.

Make the wrong first impression and you have to work harder to get your audience back. What can happen? Your message gets lost, you miss out on that sale or you are overlooked for that promotion. When first impressions are made, they are very hard to reverse. This is because people naturally look for evidence to support their own views.

Last time I discussed the importance of body language in making the right impression at interviews and presentations. I mentioned the importance of ensuring your suit enhances rather than limits you. Whether you are in front of an audience of one or of 500, it is important to look the part. It gives both you and the audience confidence in your presentation. This will help make your presentations less stressful for you.

And to help you make the right first impression, I have teamed up with the wonderful stylists at A Suit That Fits, who are keen to share their tips with you.

A Suit That Fits: a guide to the perfect office suit

At A Suit That Fits, we ethically hand-tailor bespoke suits for men and women. Given that we tailor garments for men and women in the office on a daily basis, we’re keen to share our top work wear tips with you.

In the first of a series of blogs detailing how to find your perfect suit for work, we’re going to first take you through how the fit of your suit should look and feel.

The Jacket

The length of your jacket should fall and finish in line with your thumb knuckle. If it finishes after, it is a little too long. The collar of your jacket should not sit away from your body (if it does, it’s a sign that it’s too big). When it comes to your jacket arm length, there should be around half an inch of shirt cuff peeping out from below your suit sleeves.

How to wear your jacket

If your jacket suit has two buttons, the top one should be done up; if the suit has three buttons then the first two should be buttoned – always leave the last button of the suit undone. If your jacket pulls or creases when you button up your jacket – it’s a sign that it’s too small.

Your waistcoat

If your suit is a 3-piece suit, then your waistcoat should sit just below your trouser waist. As we discussed above, if the waistcoat has three buttons, the first two should be buttoned with the last one undone and so on. You’ll sometimes find a clasp at the back of your waistcoat, this should always be fastened.

Your trousers

One of the keys to a perfectly fitting suit is the trouser – if a belt is needed to keep them up then the trousers are too big and you won’t feel so confident in your suit. A perfectly fitting trouser won’t need to be worn with a belt (bespoke suits have little adjusters at the side instead). In terms of the length, there should be one break in the trouser when it hits the shoe – if there isn’t one they are too short, and if there’s more than one they are too long.

Your Skirt

There are a few key signs of a well-fitting skirt. First of all, the side seams and darts should run flat and smooth down the skirt, when looking at the skirt from the front and side, the hem should run flat and smooth across. The lining should sit comfortably against the body and not tug or pull, and there should be the space for around the width of around a finger between the waistband and waist.

Watch out for our next instalment where we’ll discuss what accessories to wear to make you feel really confident in the office!

A Suit That Fits provides bespoke suits at off-the- peg prices.

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