I’m thinking of the time I was sitting on an agents panel at a conference and realized that I was the best-dressed person on the panel.
This was not hard to do. Next to me was a young woman with long, unkempt hair. She was wearing some kind of ratty tee, loose pants that looked like clown pants, and great big basketball hightops. On the other side of her was a young man wearing a worn plaid shirt, jeans with holes in them, and sturdy work boots. He looked like a lumberjack.
I was wearing a red, well-made sweater, a gray skirt, a red and white scarf, red earrings, and red shoes. Okay, I got the scarf in Paris. It cost a mere 25 euros. I had a neutral manicure before coming to the conference and my haircut was fairly new.
This is not about knowing how to dress. It’s about looking like a professional, with decent clothes and basic grooming.
Who would you rather talk to if you are looking for an agent or a publisher? The clown pants, the lumberjack, or me? There is nothing wrong with dressing casually. In fact, it is often preferable. But do the jeans have to have holes, no matter how trendy that may be? Can you get a tee that is less than 20 years old and doesn’t sag? If you get a fresh tee, tuck it in, and use a nice-looking belt, you are already there. If you accessorize simply, you are even more there. As an author, no one expects you to look fancy. Just reasonable. You can even be funky or creative or ultra conservative or retro. Just not like you woke up five minutes ago or live in a forest.
I have seen authors who show up wearing bedroom slippers and curlers in their hair. On the other end of the spectrum, I have seen authors who think they are supposed to look very successful, and their idea of proving that is to wear $5000 designer suits and handbags. Really not necessary.
If you have a meeting with your publisher, don’t fret. It is not likely that they will be very dressed up, and you don’t have to be either. But they will look pulled together, and so should you.
On the other hand, I have seen conferences that expect people to dress inappropriately. One had a pajama party in the evening. Yes, I’m serious. They expected authors, agents, and editors to show up in nightgowns or pajamas. Another was held in Hawaii, and everyone was expected to wear swimsuits around the pool. Sorry, folks, but I don’t want to show that much of myself in a work setting. This was a writers conference, not a surfing convention.
Whatever you wear, it should be comfortable. If you feel like your neck is in a noose wearing a tie, don’t bother with it. No one will mind. You don’t need spike heels or anything that slows you down or gets in your way. Remember, you are there to work. Keep it simple, be yourself, and don’t look hopelessly weird. That’s all you need.
Remember what Coco Chanel said. If you dress shabbily, they will remember the clothes. If you dress impeccably, they will remember you.
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