We use clothing to mark significant events in our lives; like the first day of school, the first day of a new job, your first business pitch, or going public with your business! The clothes we wear are tied to specific meanings that we ascribe to clothing and therefore can influence our state of mind as well as others’. The term researchers have coined for this is “enclothed cognition.” For example, if you wear bright colors such as yellow, orange, or green you might feel more cheerful, friendly, and calm because of what these colors symbolize. If you wear a suit you might feel more confident and assertive because the suit symbolizes power. It is extremely important to recognize how you are feeling based on what you are wearing. The specific clothes and colors you choose to wear will not only impact your mood but will affect how you are perceived by others.
Here is your go to list of what each color symbolizes :
Yellow – cheer & stimulating
Orange – friendly, warmth, earthliness
Raspberry – friendly & intelligent
Fuchsia – vivaciousness & dynamism
Red – strength & authority
Light purple/lilac – spirituality
Deep purple – creativity & artistic power
Blue – trust
Celadon – calm, elegant
Cream/shades of brown – non-threatening, stable, supportive, reliable
Black – power, strength, charisma
Below you will find a few key color strategies to use for What to Wear When? :
When Wearing a Suit:
*The darker your suit, the more powerful you appear; conveying dependability and reliability.
*A black suit conveys power, strength, and charisma. But, beware, black can also appear intimidating.
*A chocolate brown suit portrays a person who is supportive, stable, reliable, and non-threatening.
*Wearing a dark navy blue suit displays professionalism and trustworthiness.
*A dark grey suit shows professionalism, trustworthiness, success, and strength.
When Selling or Promoting:
True blue or lighter shades of blue (inspires trust)
Orange (appears friendly and appeals to all)
Yellow (shows cheerfulness and is stimulating)
Blue based pinks (appear calm and inspirational)
Business Meeting or Business Lunch:
Black to convey power
Navy blue to convey trustworthiness
Royal blue to convey kind heartedness and compassion
Deep Grey to convey success and strength
Brown to convey non-threatening, stability, support, and reliability
Terra Cotta or Brick to convey warmth and sensuality
Blue reds to convey warmth and vitality
What you’re wearing will make an impact on how you feel, and in turn how others perceive you. I challenge you to plan your message with color! Think about what you’re trying to achieve and then choose one of the colors listed above. Take note of how you feel wearing that color, how people respond to you at the time, and what your outcome was!
Further questions or comments? Please feel free to drop a comment or send me a message!
