It has been just over three weeks since social distancing measures were enforced, but it already feels like a different world. Devoid of weekend trips, meeting friends for drinks, and business partners over lunch, while at home, our whole social and professional sphere centers around our laptops. And more specifically, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, or whatever video conferencing tool does it for you.
While in the pre-Covid 19 world, you chose your outfit (heels or flats?), and setting (Bemelmans Bar or DUMBO House?), to align optimally with the situation at hand, there’s a lot less to play with at home. And yet, we still have the ability to facilitate visual and psychological cues over video to ensure that your professional video presence impresses, and your social video presence fosters connection. Let’s dissect.
Professional Conference Calls
Objective: Convey that you are thriving, productive, and on-it in this work-from-home arrangement.
A good background does wonders: a bookstand and/or flowers always convey a certain elevated professionalism.
For normal work situations, a clean, wrinkle-free crew-neck top. There’s something reassuring and normalizing about a crew neck.
For interviews, presentations, or in situations where you would like to hold command, opt for a grander neckline feature, such as a strong collar or turtleneck.
White, black, neutrals, or navy (a color associated with intelligence, trust, and loyalty), are your best bets. Or, take our personality test to find styles in alignment with your vibe here.
Natural, but polished makeup makes the best impression. “I have natural hereditary dark circles, so it always looks like I’ve stayed up all night no matter how much I sleep”, says our founder, Anabel. “My 2-min beauty routine ahead of a Zoom call is undereye concealer, brow pencil for full, symmetrical brows, a bit of MAC StudioFix to mattify skin, and clear lip gloss.”
The appearance of clean hair. Reasoning obvious.
A warm beverage, coffee, or alternative, restores an air of normalcy among colleagues, as it reminds of “normal” office behavior.
Social Conference Calls
Objective: Have a fun call, laugh, reminisce, connect, restore hope and joy.
A dress that helps you disassociate from all things Coronavirus is best. “On my last social video conference catching up with friends, I wore a Rhode Resort dress that I wore on my last birthday in Hawaii. It simply reminds me of being very happy and of course, of travelling.”
Accessorize bolder, as if you were on holiday, to recreate those feelings.
Spray your favorite scent before the call as if you were going out to trigger feelings of anticipation and dissociate from quarantine drudgery.
Inspire optimism with shiny lips with a hint of color.
Don’t forget something celebratory-looking to drink - dress up your soda water with mint, cucumber, or citrus fruit if not drinking. Iced tea. CBD drink. So many options.
Not that everyone has a framed Gray Malin hanging behind their desk to recall memories of splashing around Positano or Cap D’Antibes, but a leisurely background feels more therapeutic than having social calls from your makeshift desk. Take social video calls on the terrace, garden, or in the living room.
Here’s to getting through Covid-19 and being able to see our friends, family, and colleagues in person soon.
In the world of post-pandemic dressing, one word has taken social media by storm: cheugy (pronounced: chew-gee). In the worlds of fashion and lifestyle, cheugy describes a look, a thing or a person that’s considered out of date.