By Kunle Bakare
Are you ready to unlock the secret to accelerating your career growth and achieving success? One often overlooked yet powerful tool is colour. The colours you wear can significantly impact your professional image and influence how others perceive and treat you.
Now let’s hold hands and discover how the colours you choose to wear can boost your professional image and accelerate your rise!
Colours are audible—sometimes they whisper and mumble, speak coherently and confidently, or shout and scream—and convey different interpretations. And studies have long proven that the colours we prefer for work make or mar our eligibility for great accomplishment.
Research shows that tints and tinctures play a significant role in how others perceive and treat us. Wearing colours that match your skin tone can make you appear more attractive and confident (Lichtenstein, 2016). Putting on colours that match your personality can increase your perceived credibility and trustworthiness (Hill, 2015).
Angela Wright, a leading expert in colour psychology, reveals that our favourite colours are subconsciously linked to our personality traits. That colours can signal approachability, confidence, authority, and more.
But what do specific colours mean? Blue conveys stability, productivity, and calmness, while black exudes authority, seriousness, and sophistication. White represents trustworthiness, honesty, and innocence, and brown symbolises nature, security, and strength. Keep in mind that colours have different meanings across cultures and traditions.
In professional settings, however, there is a consensus on colour interpretations. Studies show that wearing black or navy clothing makes us appear more intelligent and trustworthy (Johnson et al., 2012), while bright and bold colors reveal a more outgoing and friendly person (Gueguen and Jacob, 2014).
So, which colours should you wear to elevate your professional image?
Here are some expert recommendations:
o White: perfect for fresh starts and new beginnings, conveying cleanliness, purity, and innocence.
o Black: ideal for authoritative and professional settings, exuding power, elegance, and sophistication.
o Blue: great for conveying stability and expertise, representing trust, loyalty, and responsibility.
o Brown: suitable for approachable and dependable roles, symbolising reliability, stability, and honesty.
o Grey: excellent for adaptable and flexible professionals, embodying neutrality, balance, and versatility.
Wearing these colors can:
– Enhance perceived professionalism and credibility
– Boost confidence and self-perception
– Influence how others perceive your competence and trustworthiness
– Affect your mood and energy levels
And designers, those who live and breathe fashion and style, corroborate the significance of colour in how we are perceived and treated:
· ‘Colour is a power which directly influences the soul?’
–Christian Dior (Dior, 1956)
· ‘Colour is a language, and like any language, it has its own grammar, vocabulary, and syntax?’
–Faber Birren (Birren, 1978)
· ‘Colour is an intense emotion, and it has the power to change the way we feel and think.’
–Anna Sui (Sui, 2019)
Remember, colours are a powerful tool to enhance your professional image. Choose wisely and watch your career thrive!
-Kunle Bakare for Omoluwabi by KB
