Who Cares About Colour Anyway?

Have you ever had one of those moments where a colleague has innocently asked “Are you OK?  You look a bit peaky,” and, as well as being a wee bit miffed you’re also confused cos you feel fine?  Next time it happens, go look in the mirror.  Are you wearing a colour that makes you look vibrant and healthy or one that makes you look a bit sallow or grey?

Colour is EVERYTHING.  Look at Mother Nature.  And the colours we wear not only affect how we feel, they affect how others see us.  An important fact in the world of business.

So.  What colours should you wear for business?

Go into any office building or tube station and you will be met with a wave of grey and black.  Whilst it does look quite smart, it’s also pretty dull and boring.  Please avoid wearing a dark suit and crisp white blouse.   So what colours are best?  Well it actually depends on what message you are trying to convey…

AUTHORITY

The afore-mentioned Black and Charcoal grey are very serious, authoritative colours.  If you to be perceived this way – great!  If you’re a designer, avoid it.  Mix it up with some colours from your palette – try some pastel blue, lilac or apricot blouses instead of white, or go for a stripe.  TM Lewins do some fabulous fitted blouses for women.

SOOTHING

Blue is a great colour if you’re all about developing relations and partnerships.  Blue has long been considered a colour liked by everyone which is why so many uniforms are blue – it promotes feelings of trust and security.  If you’re a natural red-head, keep the blue on the bottom half and team with tan, beige, peach and yellow on the top.

POWER

Red is clearly a power colour and luckily, everyone has at least 2 shades of red that suit them.  Red is all about passion, energy and excitement.  If you don’t feel confident in a red dress, choose some accessories in your best red – a great belt, handbag or shoes will do the trick!

CREATIVITY

If you’re in a creative industry, you’ll want to stimulate emotion whilst commanding attention from any prospective clients.  Wearing plum is a smart idea, and experiment with purple and orange.  Another way to seem interesting is to use pattern in your outfits, or opt for some really unusual earrings.

Yellow is a tricky colour to wear, especially if you have grey hair or a cool skin tone.

It’s important to have fun with colour so do be a little braver than normal and experiment with some new colour combinations.  If anyone would like a colour chart, please email info@pixie-belle.co.uk