How Colors Affect Personal Image

In a perfect world, the saying, “Never judge a book by its cover,” would be a cornerstone of everyone’s character. However, this is unrealistic since it is human nature to draw conclusions based on external stimuli—whether it be consciously or subconsciously. These conclusions are conducive to self-preservation and relationship-building, and can range from judgements as harmless as “That woman has a weapon, she must be dangerous,” to assumptions as harmful as “That man is dressed shabbily, he must be incompetent.”

Although most of us are aware these beliefs are often inaccurate, they can be difficult to avoid. Especially when many of these opinions manifest at the subconscious level. An example of this trend is the effect of colorful clothing on people’s perception of the wearer. Individuals often unknowingly make unfounded judgments by attributing another’s character with the color of their attire. Fortunately, this practice does not always have to work against the wearer’s favor.

Being knowledgeable about the subliminal effect of color on perception is the first step to turning this phenomenon to one’s advantage. For starters, warm colors are associated with energy and motivation. Red elevates people’s heart rates, inducing feelings of excitement and passion. The American Psychological Association found that those who wear red are associated with boldness, feistiness and attractiveness. Similarly, orange wearers are viewed as fun, socially competent and ambitious. However, a survey conducted by CareerBuilder found that up to 25% of employers viewed the hue as unprofessional, making orange a better color for a casual outing with friends.

Similarly, brown is also a bad color to wear to interviews as it is associated with simplicity and lack of action. On the bright side, individuals wearing brown are perceived as comfortable and dependable outside of professional settings. Yellow is a safer professional option (albeit a rather unique one) due to its association with optimism and creativity. And unlike the rest of the warm colors, pink is associated with serenity in addition to love and femininity.

Conversely, the cool colors bring a sense of tranquility. Greens imply well-being and environmentalism while blues exude stability and reliability. Both greens and purples hint at wealth with purple adding a luxurious layer of nobility, spirituality and reputability.

As for the monochromatic colors, Cornell University states that white indicates pureness, orderliness, impartialness and cleanliness while wearing gray makes an individual appear logical and analytical. Additionally, the university found that black creates a sense of strength, authority and timelessness. In general, muted colors create a sense of friendliness with the tradeoff of implied powerlessness.

Of course, a multitude of factors contribute to an individual’s image. By learning about these components, individuals are better equipped to conduct themselves in a manner that will help them achieve their goals. For students, this could help them land that job, internship, or officer position that they’ve been eying for months or even make a new friend through the power of impeccable fashion taste and eye-catching accessories. Regardless of the motivation, it is easy to see the benefits of subtly influencing personal image and public perception. So next time you have an interview with that company that you’ve always wanted to work at, think twice before donning that burnt orange suit.