Dark colours can make a person appear taller and thinner. Navy
and black are "power" colours. Wearing a dark shirt with
matching trousers and shoes can make a short woman appear
taller. Only women can wear all black during the day. On a man
it looks too dominating without lightening it up with a white or
coloured shirt or tie.
Grey is the colour of teamwork, agreement, and passivity. In a
light shade it is relaxed. But in a darker shade, grey is also a
power colour. Grey is a good choice for people in sales,
banking, or finance and ideal to combine it with other colours.
Grey is not a colour to be worn on its own - it can make you
appear not having any personality.
Red is a great accent colour for men. It is the colour of the
initiator. Red ties are considered "power" ties. For women, red
is an excellent choice for blouses, scarves, jackets and
dresses. But is usually too strong for a suit.
Yellow should always be mixed with another powerful colour such
as navy, grey, or black. Light yellow can be a great supporting
colour in shirts or ties. Again women should avoid yellow suits,
but using it as an accent colour can lift a potentially dreary
normal darker suit if used in scarves or blouses.
Literally everyone looks good in blue. But, you need to pick the
right tint so that it's not draining you (too bright) or
overwhelming you (too dark). Navy is another powerful colour.
Medium blue is friendlier. Whereas light blue is not a strong
colour for a suit, but great when worn as a shirt or tie. But
navy pinstripe suits should only be worn to suggest a really
powerful look. Both men and women should be careful with blue
for accessories e.g. briefcase. But women can use navy for shoes
and purses.
Green - Green is ok in moderation but not for a mans suit. Women
should only wear bright green in small doses as it can be
overwhelming and not look serious. However, lighter shades of
green can look cheap and few women can pull this colour off. It
needs to be combined with grey or brown outfit. Darker shades
are fine when not worn as a solid colour.
Pink, either in a deep shade or softer shades of rose, is an
good choice for women's blouses, dresses, or scarves. Men can
wear pink in small doses but Pink shirts should be reserved for
less conservative or creative businesses.
Brown is a colour for a more casual look rather corporate power
dressing. It can be sophisticated but might make you look less
sharp a look you might want to avoid in business meetings.
However it may be great for conferences where you might want to
look approachable. For a woman to wear various shades of brown-
it can look extremely sophisticated and elegant.
Orange is tricky for most men. Shades of orange or peach should
be kept as background colours in ties or shirts. Women can wear
these
colours as long as they complement their skin tone. They should
again be predominantly background colours and mixed with
powerful colours such as navy, grey, and on occasion, black.
Peach can give you a youthful fresh look.
Violet - Men should limit their use of purple to ties and
shirts. Women can have suits, dresses, or blouses in shades of
mauve, violet, periwinkle, or purple, but ideally keep it to the
top half.
White is an all around the year colour when chosen for shirts or
a nice background colour when combined with coloured pattern in
shirts- it is the best colour for shirts. Men should steer clear
of white shoes except for sports leisurewear. White should never
be used for belts or purses. Women can wear white suits during
the day in the summer, but men should only use out of business
hours.
Burgundy can be elegant and powerful when teamed with grey.
Burgundy ties can look great with grey, navy or tan suits.
Tan or khaki is the best colour for rainwear, especially for
men. It can be worn by men for casual summer suits, but be
careful as it doesn't suit all skin tones.
Use colours to emphasize your hair and eyes, flatter your skin
tones and figure.
Wearing the right colours is an great way to look younger,
healthier, and more well groomed without having to resort to
drastic measures. People who understand the colour
characteristics look happier, healthier and more self assured.
Colours can have an instant positive impact on their image,
self-esteem and confidence. In business we need to make quick
judgement calls, which are often based on your outward
appearance. So pick the right colours and make a great first
impression!
By Chris Scarles
Interested in Colour Analysis? Find out more at
ColourMeBeatuful. Book a Colour Analysis or Style Consultation with Colour Me Beautiful.
Chris Scarles is a director at colourmebeautiful in the U.K.
