At a Glance

Look your best on camera in the MIT Sloan Teaching Studio. Follow our tips to choose an outfit that flatters you on camera and avoids common wardrobe pitfalls.

Tip: Consider bringing two different outfits or multiple options for accessories (like scarves) to the studio so you can choose your favorite once you’re in front of the camera.

Choose Your Outfit

Follow these guidelines to look camera-ready in the Teaching Studio.

  1. Wear solid color clothing. (You can wear a simple pattern if you’re wearing a jacket over it.)
    Smiling man wearing a grey blazer, blue jeans, and a white shirt
  2. Pick clothes that accommodate a clip-on microphone. You’ll need a neckline or lapel for the clip-on microphone and a back pants pocket or belt for the microphone hardware.
    Smiling woman wearing a taupe blazer and plants and a lightly pinstriped shirt
  3. Be camera-ready from your head to your knees. It’s important to wear a top and bottoms that can appear on camera. (Your shoes won’t be visible.)
    Smiling man wearing a light blue button-down shirt and dark blue slacks
  4. Wear makeup, if desired. Face powder can help prevent shine under the studio lights. The studio doesn’t provide makeup, wardrobe, or grooming support, so come camera-ready.
    Smiling woman wearing a blue collared dress with a belt
  5. If you wear glasses, consider contacts. Studio lights can create glare on lenses, depending on your prescription. Prefer to keep your glasses on? We’ll adjust the lighting as best we can.

What NOT to Wear in the Teaching Studio

Steer clear of these wardrobe pitfalls so you can look your best on camera.

  1. Don’t wear all black or all white. The background is likely to appear black or white behind you, and pure white also reads poorly under studio lights. Wearing a different color will help you stand out.
    A woman's suit in all black
  2. Avoid wearing red, yellow, or green. These colors can create problems against the studio’s green screen. Green in particular can make parts of you disappear into the background.
    A bright red button-down shirt and a bright blue button-down shirt
  3. Don’t wear busy patterns like high-contrast stripes, plaids, polka dots, or busy patterns. On camera, these prints can be distracting or cause odd visual effects.
    A black-and-white striped shirt and a black-and-white polka-dotted shirt
  4. Make sure your clothing has no visible labels, logos, or text. The studio flips the camera image in real time so that when you point at something on your slides, your gesture matches what your audience sees. The side effect is that any text on your clothing appears backwards.
    A logo T-shirt with the text MMTI

Questions about a specific outfit? Contact the studio team before your session or bring options and ask on the day.

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