Page 102 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 3 Managing Speech Anxiety 69

Exhibit 3.4
Do’s Don’ts*
Fashion Do’s and
Pants Shorts Don’ts for Classroom
Skirts Minis Speeches
Low-riding jeans
Collared shirt T-shirt
Full-length blouse Tank-top
Sweater Tube top or strapless top
Midriff-baring top
Sweats
Business shoes Athletic shoes
Flip fl ops
Groomed hair Ball caps or hats
Tasteful jewelry or accessories Bling

*Exceptions where the apparel is part of the presentation

in our own classes whose inappropriate dress
detracts unnecessarily from what they hope to
say. They become self-conscious in the process,
increasing their chances of becoming overly
anxious.
Appropriate dress enhances your credibil-
ity. It also can help you feel more confi dent.
Both are positive outcomes, ones that should
reduce rather than increase feelings of speech
anxiety. Thus, the easiest way to overcome
concerns about your physical appearance is to
dress for the occasion. But you may be asking
yourself, “What constitutes appropriate dress
in my public speaking class?” We asked our
generally younger and unquestionably hipper
teaching associates to answer this question for
us. They came up with what we perceive to
be a reasonable and realistic set of guidelines,
summarized for you in Exhibit 3.4. Basically,
you do not want your dress to make you feel
even more conspicuous than you normally
would while standing in front of your audi-
ence—that will only serve to make you more
self-conscious and anxious.

Self-Talk

Just as we use self-talk before a speech, we may
also talk to ourselves as we actually deliver a
speech. Again, we want to avoid negative self-
Appropriate dress can enhance a speaker’s confi dence
talk in this regard. It’s important to note that
and credibility.
your audience will not be nearly as critical of