Public Speaking : THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE

I'm certainly no clothes horse. When people look at me they certainly don't say, "Wow! What a snappy dresser." I do happen to know a little bit about speaker clothing that polished pro speakers need to know about.

I'm talking about the dreaded MICROPHONE BULGE. Unless you use a handheld microphone, or a wired clip on microphone (which causes you to trip over the wire all day) in one way or the other you have to deal with a wireless transmitter bulge in your clothing.

This needs to be addressed when you are purchasing the clothing you plan on wearing when you speak.

LADIES
Where is the transmitter pack going to be attached? If you have no pockets and no belt, the sound person will have to glue the darn thing on you (not really) but in many cases that would be the easiest route.

If you are wearing a form fitting jacket, then clipping the transmitter to your skirt will cause a bulge in the back and an unsightly pull in the front.

Plan for the transmitter pack when you purchase your clothing. Take one with you to the store or simulate having one by putting one or more compact cases together and slipping in the back of your skirt. If you're new outfit fits with those in there, the nit will fit nicely with a real transmitter.

You can also wear a jacket or top with a tie / best around it which gives the transmitter a handy place to hang.

MEN
Big guys like me that wear fairly loose jackets don't have to worry about this too much. If you are built such that you can wear form fitting tightly cut jackets, then you are in the same boat as the ladies above. You must plan for the transmitter when you purchase your clothing. When I've had suits custom made, I actually had the tailor put in a special pocket for the transmitter and I also had him make several loops up the inside of the jacket to keep the wire to the microphone from hanging out the front of my coat.

Sometimes I put the transmitter right in my pants pocket. That way there is no way it will fall off or come unclipped even if I get a little boisterous on stage . . . which I do.