Although formal business attire has been a mainstay of television news wardrobes, more casual attire is becoming popular for afternoon, morning and weekend newscasts, as well as for programs and stations who want to portray a more laid back or youthful look.
For men, a more casual wardrobe typically means going without a suit jacket or opting for just a sweater or sweater vest with a tie.
If you go this route, however, talent should be sure they purchase dress shirts that fit well to prevent the fabric from looking rumpled or bunched up, especially around the arms. If your talent presents the news both standing and sitting, this should be taken into consideration when fitting clothing. Sweaters and sweater vests shouldn’t be overly thick or “lumpy.”
It’s also important to remember, however, how a lighter colored shirt, especially white, will affect the studio lighting and cameras. White dress shirts generally won’t overpower cameras when worn under a suit, but when worn without a jacket, there is much more of the shirt exposed and therefore reflection becomes more of an issue.
Tie selection is also a good way to make things less formal. More colorful or contemporary designs will give off a more casual feel than solids or subdued patterns and colors.
Women can achieve a more casual look by opting for more everyday, contemporary clothing rather than business suits or jackets. Layering a shirt and light cardigan-style sweater is good option, as is looking for clothing with unique or interesting accents rather than the plain, traditional lines of business suits. That said, business suits, with unique styles and colors, can make things feel less formal also.
For women, both the selection and amount of jewelry also have a big effect on the formalness of the look; finer, more traditional accessories tend to be more formal while contemporary and more colorful options are less so.
To go even more casual, both women and men can switch to just button-down or polo shirts. For a more cohesive look, consider having them wear shirts with your station logo. These options, however, probably are a bit too formal for traditional newscasts and better suited for sports shows, lifestyle programming or special events coverage.
When considering a more casual wardrobe for a specific newscast, it’s important to consider the time of day, the audience makeup and how viewers might perceive such outfits.
As humans, we tend to form our perceptions of professionalism and credibility based on people’s personal appearance, so it’s important to not go too informal.
Also keep in mind that people tend to feel more professional the more dressed up they are, so this could also affect, even in small ways, talent’s on-camera actions.
NewscastTip is a weekly column with tips for your newscasts. See past editions here. The column is available every Friday in our e-mail newsletter and posted here the following Wednesday. Sign up for the newsletter to get it delivered directly to your in box every week.
Michael P. Hill is founder and publisher of NewscastStudio. Contact him with your own tips and feedback.
