As the saying goes, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression. You know your fashion sense makes an impact on the people you meet, but have you ever wondered how the color of your clothes can change the first impression?
Are you an influential, take-charge leader who thrives on making high-pressure decisions? Perhaps you feel insecure on the inside, but you’d like to adopt the air of someone in authority. Maybe you want to appear eager to learn and open to new experiences. You can craft those personas with your clothing.
Here’s how.
1. Go Red When You Want to Look Powerful
Are you a motivational speaker? Maybe you hope to motivate a new client to embrace your company’s products or services. If so, make red a cornerstone of your wardrobe.
Psychologically, red stimulates and energizes the physical body. It also helps to whet the appetite. Think of the way fast-food chains often incorporate variations of the hue into their decor. A stunning red garnet tie or scarf will go over well at meetings held during lunch or after hours.
Although red inspires passion, it’s as unpredictable as fire when it comes to whether the response is positive or negative. In the same way that fire can warm you on a cold night or blaze through a property, control is vital when you use this tone to change first impressions.
Instead of going for a crimson power suit, opt for an eye-catching pocket square. Similarly, red shoes with a matching backpack or briefcase can energize a suit.
2. Dark Clothes Can Change a First Impression at an Important Occasion
The color black fits occasions such as formal dinner parties and high-stakes negotiations. Wearing black when you want to create a lasting first impression is a great idea, because the color creates an air of prominence and nobility. It tells the person you meet that you’re debonair — even a little mysterious or worldly.
As powerful as black is, however, it can also intimidate those you meet. Plus, dressing head to toe
in dark tones makes you look like you’re heading to a funeral. Always liven up
a black suit with accessories for a business occasion.
Men can select a light blue shirt or a matching tie and handkerchief in a vibrant hue. Women can use scarves or belts to break up the visual field.
3. Play With Contrast, But Avoid Certain Combinations
Think about the last time you watched a round of professional golf. While the outfits no doubt caught your eye, certain color combinations probably grated on you like nails on a chalkboard.
That’s not the kind of first impression you want to make, whether you’re meeting a new client or getting to know a hot romantic prospect.
It’s okay to contrast different shades and even fabric patterns. However, remember to take advantage of neutral tones and avoid the following combinations:
- Brown and black: You’ll look like a damp winter’s day, and no one needs a reminder of cold mud.
- Green and pink: Unless you’re attending a retro 1980s party complete with a polo and a turned-up collar, leave this look in the “Miami Vice” days.
- Purple and yellow: You might pull this off if you’re auditioning for a role as the Joker. Otherwise, you risk looking like a walking bruise.
4. Always Stay Neat and Freshly Pressed
You can have the ultimate black power suit and matching accessories — but if you arrive at your destination all wrinkled, you’ll create a frumpy first impression. While it’s understandable to feel less-than-fresh if you recently departed a 10-hour flight, your audience forms an instant opinion of you.
Carry essentials such as a small handheld steamer to reduce wrinkles before the big meeting. Also, remember that a travel-sized deodorant can freshen you up, and a few breath mints can go a long way.
It’s true that clothes can change a first impression, but they’re only part of the way you present yourself.
Finally, if it’s your first day on the job or the hour preceding a blind date, you want to create a first impression of openness. You also want to convey both freshness and safety. You’re energetic and enthusiastic, but you’re not going to play fast and loose with expense accounts or hearts.
Too much white can make you seem either virginal or sterile — like with red or black, use the color as an accent. A white button-down shirt is a great business-casual choice for both men and women when paired with pressed jeans or khakis.
Darker accents such as navy project more of a secure, patrician air, while lighter pastels imply youth and vibrancy.
Choose wisely, and
you’ll make a positive and lasting mark on everyone you meet!
Pinstripe Magazine Staff
Online Men’s Lifestyle Magazine on Gear, Grooming, Girls, Gadgets
