How to look good on Zoom

By Rebecca Gonsalves on 30/3/2020

Suddenly the whole world is getting to grips with the technological tests and etiquette of video conferencing. Adopting power dressing above the waist and keeping sweatpants out of sight is a solid plan, as is beautifying your work space (or just the wall behind where you've set your laptop up; we're all about the shortcuts right now).
But being confronted by your own face on your screen (complete with bad lighting and unflattering camera angle) can be distracting and leave you worried about the professionalism of your appearance to others.
So take a moment to reframe: a well-placed hairclip or pair of statement earrings will capture your colleagues' attention. They'll also help convey your personality across pixels bringing warmth to quite a cold form of communication.
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Hair clips

If you're looking for a style shortcut look no further: the not-so humble hair clip has been a trend for a while now and it's here to stay. A jazzy hair slide can not only tame bed head and add body to unwashed locks, but it can add a bit of colour or sparkle near the face helpfully flattering a screen-bathed pallor.

Model wears Warehouse gold organic two-pack hair clips, was £12, now £9.60

1. Arket set of two pearl bobby pins, £15

2. Liars & Lovers large pink and purple gem hair clips, £12.50

3. Mango hairclip set, was £15.99, now £12.79

4. Urban Outfitters Erin embellished hair clip set, was £12, now £3

5. Anthropologie faux pearl-detailed shell hair clip, £14

6. Mango bow hairclip, was £17.99, now £14.39

7. Arket barette hair clip, £12

8. Monki Sigrid pearl hairclip in pink, £5

9. Anthropologie pack of four triangle-shaped hair clips, £24

Earrings

There's an old piece of advice for learner drivers to wear jangly, dangly earrings when taking their test to ensure the examiner notices every time they move their head to look in a mirror or check a blind spot. Although you're not trying to convince your colleagues or friends of your safety-consciousness on a video call, anything that distracts you from staring at yourself is a bonus in this new virtual office reality. Think bright, think bold, think jingly jangly.

Model wears: Lucy Williams for Missoma gold chunky waffle hoops, £95.

1. Lizzie Fortunato black cherry hoop earrings, £160

2. Baublebar Gianna gold-tone beaded hoop earrings, £55

3. Jigsaw Damia resin hoops, £25

4. Anissa Kermiche Fil d'Or gold-plated earrings, £120

5. Sandralexandra Flori gold-plated hoop earrings, £70

6. Shrimps Aina crystal & faux-pearl drop clip earrings, £95

7. Topshop mega flower drop earrings, was £25, now £17.50

Headbands

Whether padded and princess-like or soft and stretchy, a headband can go a long way to making you look polished when your hair is betraying you, be it a growing-out fringe that you're plucking up the courage to trim at home or the fact you simply haven't had time to wash your hair due to the sudden onset of home-schooling in your household. There's an added bonus: hair will be kept off your face and you may end up subconsciously touching it less (a habit of which you will become painfully aware the more hours you log on a video chat).

Model wears: & Other Stories floral headband, £17

1. New Look two padded head bands, £7.99

2. Anthropologie wavy polka dot headband, £28

3. Pieces satin ruched headband, £9

4. Warehouse gold floral headband, was £18, now £14.40

5. Violetta by Mango gingham hairband, was £12.99, now £10.39

6. Asos Design headband in ditsy floral print, £8