Do you feel like you are conveying the real you in the way that you dress? Would people meeting you for the first time be able to get an idea of your personality through what you wear?

Studies have shown that on meeting someone for the first time your appearance is 55% of what matters most, then 38% if your voice, how you speak, and 7% is what you actually say!!

In the work place research across a large number of organisations has revealed there are three factors determining whether someone gets promoted or not;

Your exposure and visibility, your known achievements, your contacts and reputation – 60%

Your image and personal style, how you come across, your attitude, your approach to responsibilities – 30%

Actually doing the job – 10%!!


This demonstrates how important it is to get it right when dressing and to really show who you are through your image. It’s like we need to treat ourselves like a personal brand these days for people to really know who we are when they meet us and to be remembered.

It’s also a wonderful feeling to really feel like yourself in the clothes you wear. It gives you an extra boost of confidence when you are wearing a colour that you really love or an outfit you just totally feel like “you” in. People often remark me about wearing bright greens and blues all of the time, but I just feel happy and myself in these colours. Plus people know me for that, so they really know something about me and I am remembered for it – which can’t be a bad thing! I have even taken it as far as branding my business in these colours, which means for me I feel I have true connection with my brand. There are subconscious links to colours and following is a brief explanation of a few of them:

The Psychology of Colour

Red

Red attracts the most attention over all the other colours but beware - it can make you look heavier. It's not recommended for interviews or negotiations as it is an extremely intense colour which stimulates the breathing and causes a faster heartbeat. Red symbolizes sex and love, so red clothing is seen as the most sexual and provocative.

Orange

Orange is warm and cheerful and often functions as a peacemaker. Wearing orange shows an interest in other people but it can put sensitive people off approaching you as it is often an overpowering colour.

Yellow

Yellow is seen as cheerful and sunny. It attracts attention and it speeds up the metabolism. It is considered an optimistic colour, but note that people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. Hotels very rarely decorate their bedrooms in this colour as it does not promote restful sleep.

Green

One of the most popular decorating colours, green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest colour on the eye and causes people to relax. It can improve vision and is a calming, refreshing colour. People waiting to appear on TV sit in 'green rooms' to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients.

Blue

Blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so is often used in bedrooms. It is soothing and tranquil but can also be seen as cold and depressing. The colour of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colours. Blue is also the colour of clear communication.

Purple

Purple is the colour of royalty and denotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It is also feminine and romantic, as well as being seen as a spiritual colour.

Pink

Pink is the most romantic colour of all. It is tranquilizing and sports teams have been known to paint the opposing team's locker room in pink which can cause people looking at it to feel tired. Saying that bright hot pink can be seen as feminine, sexy and fun.

Brown

Brown is the colour of earth and is seen as solid and reliable. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is seen as dependable. Brown can also be seen as sad and wistful.

Black

Black is the colour of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black outfits can also be overpowering; a manager/boss should choose something a little less aloof in order to be seen as 'caring' in the office. In the work place black and white combinations are the most high authority look you can achieve so useful for wearing to important meetings or giving talks, when you want to be heard. Hollywood movies often use black costumes to help you identify the villain.