I've been WFH for a long while now, though don't always go on video. Here are some of my tips:
1. Get the lighting in your home office right. Tips here - https://blog.flock.com/6-tips-.....e-lighting
2. If you can't always get the lighting right, schedule your most important video calls (i.e., customer meetings) for the times of day when the lighting is best. My home office generally gets generally good indirect lighting most hours, but the lighting is perfection in the late afternoon.
3. Don't wear patterns as they can jump and jiggle and do funny things on video.
4. Similarly, watch out for shiny jewelry, as it can read funny/be distracting. That includes bracelets and anything that will "clack clack" if you are typing on a keyboard while not on mute. (Personally I just skip the jewelry entirely).
5. Don't wear obvious pajama bottoms, as if you have to get up at any time, people will notice. You can certainly wear black leggings or other comfy stretchy clothes.
6. Obvious one: dress from the waist up. I like to put on a topper like a ponte knit or merino wool jacket cut like a suit jacket. It could be over a simple cotton tank top -- nobody can tell over video my tank top is a basic from Old Navy rather than something in a more office appropriate material. Sometimes my topper however is a hoodie that has our company logo on it! Now is the time to wear all those tee shirts your company gave you, to show spirit. And DO put on a little lipstick: it makes a difference. Something that's a little bit more "your natural lipstick color" as bare lips on video somehow read more bare than in person. Do wear flattering colors to light up your face. I have seen a lot of people wearing hats and I am on the fence on that one. I get it, maybe you woke with bed-head. But the reality is none of us can tell if you haven't yet had your shower today, so just brush your hair out and don't worry about it. Hats can sometimes come across distracting on video, maybe because the brim covers the eyes.
7. Play around with the height and angle of your computer/laptop. A lot of people don't look their best when the camera is pointed up and is lower than their face. I have a large computer monitor so the camera is higher than me, and I angle it down slightly. This is much more flattering than when I go on video on my laptop. For me it's the difference between 20-30 lbs and extra chins. Only have a laptop? Try putting it on top of a stack of books on the counter, pull up a counter-height stool, and sit a little bit away from the laptop (arms length), rather than using it from your laptop or having it flat on your desk.
8. DO pay attention to your backdrop. A lot of my fellow WFH colleagues have bookcases or shelves lined with awards or white boards or interesting art or plants. The worst backdrop is a window (see tip #1) unless you have the curtains closed. I have a fun Fornasetti pillow on a chair behind me which always gets comments and laughs. Sometimes when I need a change of pace, I'll use laptop on stack of books on the kitchen counter trick, with our fireplace as the backdrop.
9. If you have short legs like I do, put a foot rest under your desk so your feet aren't dangling in a way that bends your posture all out of shape. This is good for back health, but also good so you aren't twisting around uncomfortably or slouching during a call.
10. Before important calls, stand up and do the Superman Pose. This is great for public speaking as well. It helps to stretch you out and get oxygen into your lungs.
11. Between calls, by all means, get away from the desk and into a comfortable supportive chair. You don't have to WFH sitting at a desk all day. They call them "laptops" for a reason! Take it out on the deck and get some fresh air while you are at it!
