Have you ever wondered why police officers wear blue or the clergy wear black? Or why purple and red are colors of passion while white and yellow denote innocence and cheer?
It’s because different colors impact people in different ways, evoking emotions from trust to jealousy and everything in between. Scientists have studied the effects of color for centuries, and savvy people have used these findings to create buildings that inspire awe, furnish rooms that denote power, and build wardrobes that command attention.
So can you.
Now while everyone brings different cultural and life experiences to every situation, this is how, according to color psychologists, the majority of people respond to different colors:
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BLACK is the color of authority, power, and drama. Popular because of its slimming effect, black can also make its wearer appear aloof and over-powering. So avoid it when interviewing, unless in small amounts or as an accent color. WHITE is symbolic of purity, chastity, and cleanliness. Worn by brides to convey innocence and doctors and nurses to imply sterility, white is a neutral color that goes with everything. It’s usually worn in shirts and blouses year round, yet confined to the summer months when worn in large doses. BLUE denotes tranquility, authority, trust, and loyalty. It’s the best-selling color on the planet, and the one with the biggest success rate in interviews and sales calls. A favorite of law enforcement and the military, blue is the ultimate “power color”. |
Anne Klein |
| RED symbolizes heat, danger, power, passion, and strength. The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. When used as an accent color, it can motivate people to make quick decisions and increase expectations. However, it can also heighten emotions during negotiations and confrontations, so avoid wearing large amounts of red when faced with one of those situations.
GREEN signifies nature, success, wealth, and security. A calming, refreshing color, green is the easiest color on the eye and currently the most popular decorating color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in “green rooms” to relax. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. Want others to feel comfortable with you without standing out in the crowd? Wear a mid to dark green. YELLOW inspires a wide range of emotions, from cheer and goodwill to caution, decay, and jealousy. It enhances concentration, which is why it’s used for legal pads. However, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms than in rooms of other colors, and babies will cry more in rooms that are painted yellow. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Wear in small doses in business situations. |
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ORANGE, like red, stimulates strong emotions. Associated with warmth and the autumn harvest, people who wear orange are perceived as having a strong personality. Bright orange, like bright red, will attract attention and evoke intense emotions, so wear sparingly in job interviews, negotiations, and when expecting confrontation.
| PURPLE symbolizes royalty, richness, power and sensitivity. It’s also the color of passion and love. Purple stimulates the imagination, but because it’s often viewed as a “feminine” color, avoid wearing purple when negotiating with men-particularly in situations where there’s strong gender bias.
PINK can inspire a variety of emotions, from fun and excitement (vibrant pinks) to calm and low energy (pale pinks). Pink is viewed as a feminine color, and, like purple, should be worn with discretion in business situations. In professional men’s sports, the visiting team’s locker room is often painted pale pink to reduce energy and to emasculate. BROWN communicates credibility and stability. It’s the color of the earth and abundant in nature. It’s also a good color to wear when gathering information, as it creates a neutral environment for open discussion. Men are more apt to say that brown is one of their favorite colors. |
Calvin Klein |
BEIGE and TAN, like brown, are calming, stress reducing, earthy colors that invite communication. Perceived as nonassertive and passive, these are the colors to wear when comforting others or gathering information.
GRAY symbolizes neutrality and sophistication. After blue, it’s the second most popular color to wear to an interview. If you want to look authoritative without being oppressive in black, opt for gray. It’s a great choice.
Depending on your situation and your regular wardrobe needs, you might build your closet around specific colors. If you regularly watch the local or national news, you’ll often see politicians in blue and gray suits. Why? Those colors evoke trust and confidence. Your favorite news anchor will probably be in a dark color as well, trying to look nice without distracting from the star of the show: the news.
If you could use a little excitement (red), trust (blue), serenity (green), or whatever in your day-to-day dealings, try harnessing the power of color in your wardrobe. Sometimes a small change can make a BIG difference. Try it for yourself and see!
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Need some other strategies to dress for success? Download a copy of Business Wear Magic to see how dressing appropriately for your industry – whatever it happens to be – can be! |
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Tags: business attire, clothing color, colors with impact, dress for success
Leave A Reply (2 comments So Far)
Keeds6287
905 days ago
I am totally sold on this topic but how can I bring others on board? How do I get friends and relatives to accept this concept of color and its impact on our psyche?
Anonymous
740 days ago
Do you need to? Doesn’t it give you the edge if you’re using this information and others are not?