How to Dress When Meeting With a Potential Investor

If you’re a startup business owner looking for someone to invest in your company, landing a meeting with a potential investor can be one of the most important moments of your career. If it goes well, you have the potential to earn a lot of money doing something you truly believe in. Obviously, there is going to be some stress surrounding this day! Between perfecting your pitch and gathering your numbers, did you ever stop to think about what you’re going to wear? It may seem trivial, but it is something a lot of small business owners find themselves questioning. Here are our thoughts on the matter.

To Overdress or Underdress? That is the Question

It isn’t a simple answer. Although you may assume that it is better to overdress, that’s not necessarily true. If you underdress, you risk giving the impression that you aren’t taking the meeting with your potential investors seriously. In contrast, overdressing can make you look like you’re trying to act the part but don’t really know how. So what’s the answer? Consider your audience and your industry when making your wardrobe choices:

Ecommerce: Jeans or khakis and one of your company’s custom work polo shirts with your logo on it are great options.
Fitness: While athleisure wear is appropriate for the gym, a form-fitting athletic shirt with khakis would likely work better at a professional meeting.
Finance: You can’t go wrong with a business suit (with an optional tie for men). Finance has varying degrees of formality, so a button-down shirt on its own may suffice. Women should wear slacks, a custom business skirt, or a business dress, with a matching jacket or cardigan.
Fashion: Dress in whatever unique style you’re promoting.
Health care: While the industry is varied, health care professionals should wear a professional suit, just as someone in finance would.
Hospitality: A button-down shirt with some nice khakis or jeans feels warm and welcoming.

In short, take your business into account, as well as the people who will be seeing you on a regular basis. You don’t want to come across as fake, but you don’t want to come across as lazy either, so you need to strike a balance with your wardrobe.

When to Pull Out the Power Suit

A power suit is more than just a business suit. It doesn’t even have to be an actual suit, either. It can be any dress, blazer, or another outfit that makes you feel confident. Red has always been one of those colors that makes people feel powerful, so it might help to wear a red suit or include a red embroidered work blouse with your company’s logo in your ensemble. Some women feel more confident in basic black. Whatever your preferred color, go ahead and wear it as long as it looks professional and makes you feel comfortable. Wrinkle-free suits should be considered too, especially if you have a long drive to your meeting and risk looking disheveled once you arrive.

Dress the Part Day-to-Day

Just as you researched your potential investors, they have likely done research on you too. When they’ve seen you on social media promoting your brand in a T-shirt and jeans, imagine their surprise when you show up for your meeting in a business dress. If your brand caters to the T-shirt-and-jeans crowd, that’s how you should present it (albeit a dressed-up version) both on social media and to your investors. Likewise, if your brand caters to a more formal crowd, that’s how you should be seen on social media. The important thing is that you’re consistent, so as not to confuse your audience or your investors.

Impressing investors is much different today than it was in the past. People are more down-to-earth than ever. This more casual way of doing business is reflected in our work policies, like casual dress codes and work-from-home opportunities. Keep that in mind when dressing for your pitch. At the same time, however, remember that you need to show appreciation for the fact that these people are meeting with you and considering investing in your brand. So it’s important to strike a balance between too-casual and too-formal. Staying true to your business and personal brand can help you make the right decision. Think about the consumers in your target industry and what they’d expect to see you wearing. Your investors will likely think the same.