SS-13: The Influence of Color: in your style and your workplace.
From the colors we wear to those in our workplace, color's influence is everywhere.
I am a big proponent of wearing color in your wardrobe—but not any color, per se. I advocate for first knowing your true color palette. We each come into this world with a set of colors based on the color of our skin, hair, and eyes. These colors create a specific color wheel of hues. Once you know your colors, wear them to create your style signature and support your mood, intentions, and place.
In this article, I want to remind you of the power of color and the different ways it can affect you and others. So, the next time you get dressed, make it with awareness and intention.
Wearing Bright Colors May Help Boost Energy
Studies have shown that people working in more colorful work environments are more alert and joyful than people working in drab environments. While we don't have comparable research on clothing, there are good reasons to believe that a bright pink shirt or yellow coat can act as a pick-me-up and boost energy.
Bright colors reflect more light. So when we see ourselves in colorful clothes, it's a little like caffeine for the eyes: a burst of vibrancy that gives us a lift. As we've seen, bright colors are associated with positive emotions and are naturally energizing. When working with an executive woman, I tell her she should wear anything but all black or grey when presenting. If you're talking, it's boring for the audience to look at you, and it will be harder to hold their attention.
Every color has a connotation. I prefer to avoid generalizing about what color you should wear. Some overall understanding: Reds and yellows are both excellent options if you want to boost energy. If you are holding a serious meeting, too many bright colors may not be appropriate, but wearing the right shade of blues or greens will be appropriate.
Wearing The Same Color Can Increase Trust
Sports fans wear team colors to make them feel connected to the team. Bridal parties wear matching colored dresses and ties, and airline crew members wear a uniform with a distinct color combination. In these situations, shared attire creates a sense of shared identity. Instead of seeing others as strangers, you see something of yourself reflected in them. You instantly have something in common.
That sense of shared identity, in turn, changes how we behave. When we believe we're among others with a joint affiliation, we're comfortable with less personal space and more likely to trust them. Wearing the same color creates a strong foundation for connection and community-building.A real-life example is Pink Shirt Day, initiated by two Canadian high school students, David Shepherd and Travis Price, in 2007. When a fellow student was bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school, Shepherd and Price encouraged everyone at their school to wear pink the following day. The sea of pink resulted in an overwhelming sense of unity and acceptance, empowering and uplifting the school's emotional state.
Next time you host a team-building event, provide a colored accessory (such as hats or scarves) or suggest that the group wear an item of the same color to build a sense of harmony.
Wearing Your Favorite Color Can Help You Feel More Confident
Understanding your favorite color and why you love it is empowering. It's useful because it complements your natural color palette, enhances your non-verbal communication, helps you create a cohesive wardrobe, and ultimately contributes to building your brand. Your chosen color becomes part of how people recognize and remember you.
Wearing Color Might Help You Bring Out the Best In Others
Many of us have been conditioned to see bright colors as frivolous or unserious, so we avoid wearing them in the workplace. Many think that wearing white, grey, and black is the best and easiest color to dress for. However, wearing color can benefit the workplace, especially in breaking down barriers between people and promoting more flexible thinking.
Color can be disarming. As an advertising executive, I remember the days I held agency meetings. I would wear colors to lift the room's energy and create conversations.
Wearing a New Color this Season
The fashion industry selects a specific group of colors every year. I am not a fan of following this trend (Barbie pink, for example). Again, I recommend attuning to your color palette and what color you feel drawn to wear this particular season. What is happening in your life, and how do these colors best represent you? Remember, we are constantly changing. Now, if the color you love now happens to be in every store, take advantage of it and make some quality purchases.
The last few weeks I have been working in New York and San Francisco and I have seen a lot of green choices at the stores. Personally, I love wearing green. The army green color compliments my color palette. Also, green represents new beginnings, growth, and creative performance. And this is how I feel and what I want to manifest in my life & work right now. Think about this:
Right now, what is your favorite color to wear?
What is the meaning of the color? (You can easily google it)
Why do you feel inspired to wear this color? or
What color must you wear to create more of what you want?
Color affects our mood and cognition as a powerful tool in our daily lives. Moreover, it acts as a subtle messenger, possibly drawing people closer or creating distance between them. And get this – color doesn't need words to get its point across; it speaks a language that anyone can understand. As we recognize the impact of color, I invite you to choose hues that resonate with you and embrace them confidently. I invite you to choose colors that speak to you now and rock them on!