Urgent help needed - zoom outfit!

[Pigletpoglet]

Hi all,
On Thursday I have to record some training that will be available nationally in the organisation I work for. The video is going to be around to haunt me for a really long time...

Usual (and appropriate for the industry) work wardrobe is pretty relaxed and a little bit crunchy - skirts, cardis, coloured tights and ankle boots. But the cardis and tops look bloody awful on zoom - the necklines are too low and my already pale skin looks deathly. I need a high necked top that will work on zoom (i.e. not too patterned), and really it needs to be next day delivery to make sure I get it on time.

'Jewel' colours work best on me - teals, dark pink/raspberry, sky blue etc. No sludge, grey, brown or black. Any ideas? Budget is anything not ridiculous (especially if it's something I could wear again).

Oh, and fitted! I have quite broad shoulders and baggy stuff makes me look enormous.

will you be sitting the whole time for the recording?

Why not just wear a scarf with your existing clothes?

Is it full body or just top half on view?

I’d get a crew neck top/jumper from Kettlewell in one of your colours with expedited delivery.

Yes, sitting the whole time - just armpits level upwards on show!
Scarf - might work, but I don't have any tops that I can put a scarf over! The scarf leaves bits of skin visible between scarf and top, which looks odd.
Off to look at Kettlewell - never come across them...

Top I would wear whatever you have in the colour that suits you best. Even back to front if neckline too low?

Bottom, whatever is most comfortable.

Added complication is that I'm away from home with very limited stuff with me (other than small selection of usually slightly crunchy work wear). Just tried two of my tops on backwards but they look very odd.

What size? And one person’s ‘ridiculous price’ is another’s ‘perfectly ordinary’ …

My sympathy though; there’s a podcast of me from last year that I hope no one ever looks at again.

Size 12.
And you're right about 'ridiculous'. Up to £150 for a nice jumper. Up to £80 for a shirt/top?

How about a boat neck? I think high necks can look a bit stuffy when the screen is cropped...

I'd get one of the £30 M&S crew neck jumpers. They have a nice bright blue at the moment, not sure if it's quite sky blue though.

How about this? Hobbs shirt? I find a plain coloured shirt works best for recordings.
Have you got a decent light for the recording too? I can't tell you the difference using a ring light and a very good webcam make to my appearance, plus some subtle contouring to give my face shape and colour

How about this? Think it would look nice on zoom. Relatively plain and unfussy but the neck tie adds a bit of interest. I find baukjen jersey hangs well.

www.baukjen.com/products/willow-top-with-lenzing-ecovero-blackcurrant

Are you on a laptop? If you are aim the camera up higher so you only see head and neck.

This?

Best if you could get to a shop to pick up - but they may deliver in time.

(Sorry - & Other Stories: express 1-2 day delivery of ordered before 4.pm. £10.00.)

I don’t work for them.

Joules have lovely patterned sweatshirts in jewel colours that I was looking at online yesterday.

Where are you? Can you pop to a big Asda or similar with a clothes section? I live in supermarket tops, including on dozens of Zoom calls a day - plain block colours for me, but I only do jewel tones too.

Something with a v neck? They don't tend to be plunging in those shops.

Any of these work?

www.whitestuff.com/womens/tops-and-tees/mid-teal-lilly-embroidered-jersey-top/

www.next.co.uk/style/st801330/391529#391529?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organicshopping

www.next.co.uk/g79160s3/m34261#m34261

I think boat neck would be ok. Shirts are a bit 'businessy' for my industry, even the coloured ones. The Other Stories is a bit acid in colour - I guess I do muted jewel colours, if that makes sense!
The Baukjen one is a bit too high neck - I think I might look a bit floating head in that one.
Unfortunately v v rural and nowhere near a big supermarket with a clothes section...
mykittens - the whitestuff teal top is lovely - especially maybe with a statementy necklace. Off to investigate delivery...

I once did some interview/journalism/camera training and was told that blue is generally the best colour to wear and that black and white should be avoided.

Thanks Belimoo - that's a really good tip.

I shop my wardrobe. That bright top that looked pretty on a hanger but frumpy on looks fine when I am sitting down.

Dark colours don't work very well IMO but a scarf can help cover a bare neckline.

another zoom tip.

If you are on a laptop, put something under it so that it is higher, and the camera more horizontal to your face, other wise you get more of shooting up your nose shot.