When it comes to influencing first impressions what you are wearing is pretty high up on list. With this in mind A2S have done a little reseach and put together a guide for the general consensus is for business attire. Included below is a guide to what the colour of your suit says about you, how you should wear you suit, the guide to shoe colour and most importantly what colour you tie should be (if indeed you are wearing one at all!)

After reading this article look out for politicians and world leaders on TV and and in photo-shoots – see if you can begin to identify what that are trying to say with non-linguistic communication. Your be surprised at who many times Gordon Brown wears a blue tie – even though Labour colours are clearly red!

THE SUIT
In a business scenario the following colour can be associated with the following meanings;

Navy Blue
Navy blue insinuates authority and power. With this in mind it is the best colour for negotiations, important meetings and/or presentations.

Charcoal/Black
These tones portray a sense of security so they are best worn when you need to be trusted either in a business situation or interview perhaps.

Beige/Grey-Green – aka Earthtones
These colours do not in any way suggest power so should be avoided if that is the impression you are trying achieve. Instead these tones offer a sense of understanding and compassion, great colours for rapport building or trying to dilute uncomfortable situations. These colours are perfect for internal low key meeting for instance.

THE SHOES
The general rule of thumb is that the darker the suit the darker the shoes. Getting this wrong can sends out mixed messages and just screams that you either are dressing out of character with regards to your suit. Always ensure shoes are in good condition and that means clean and no visible scuff marks!

THE TIE
A tie believe it or not is the first thing that is seen when wearing one so the colour is very significant. A tie can effect much more than your personal impression but can directly influence the tone of conversation. An extreme example of this wouold be – imagine walking into a meeting with a big flowery tie or a regular black tie – the first would imply the conversation is going to be light hearted and almost humorous – black on the other hand would insinuate the complete opposite.

Here is a quick review of the what the colours can mean;

Black
A solid black tie is a colour for formal occasions. This colour should be reserved for these occasions only.

Red
This is a power colour, a colour depicting wealth, strength and passion. Also considered the colour of a fighter – someone who doesn’t back down. Orange and Brick Red colours are also included in this category. The darker the red the deeper the think apparently!

Blue
This is a colour to wear for a calming a situation. Blue and definitely lighter shades create an atmosphere of soothing, peace and co-operation. With all this in mind it is a colour that is not associated with weakness more with constructive thinking. With this in mind it is a great colour to wear in a hostile situation.

Yellow
Although this is a colour of vitality in general when it comes to a tie colour it can express a feeling of being insincere, unprofessional and even as far as being cowardice and angry. If you are going to wear yellow make sure you are in an upbeat mood and have a vibrant character – this will ensure that the colour will be associated with the positive connotations rather than the negative.

Green
Green is the colour of money! So using the ‘Laws of Attration’ what better way to attract wealth than by wearing the colour that depicts it. This colour can also be associated with growth and rebirth suggesting you are on the road to success but you have not quite reached it yet – i.e you are still learning and growing.

Brown
Avoid brown if you don’t want to put out the following vibes; boring, down-to-earth, heavily academic, sensible. On the bright side it is associated with being reliable.

YOUR STYLE
The Power Dresser
A ‘Power Suit’ is a dark coloured suit with sharp edges, broad shoulders, well groomed. A typical power suit designer is Ralph Lauren. Shoes are always dark and although tie colours can range but for this example lets use red. This kind of dressing can intimidate before you have even spoken. It also says you are serious, professional, trustworthy and are most probably wealthy. Be weary of coming across arrogant though – if that not what you are trying to be that its!

Open Shirt
By open shirt we mean no tie and generally the top two buttons undone. Because of the lack of tie you remove any expression from an accent colour so your suit cut and fit can be the difference from looking scruffy to just relaxed and informal. If this is your look then to get the positive insinuations from this style ensure shoes are clean, you are well groomed and you suit fits! This style depicts someone that is relaxed, comfortable, non aggressive, informal when necessary and friendly. However be careful because all of the above in someway or another mean you are slower in business as you don’t not portray urgency.

T-Shirt aka no collar
In a business environment avoid this look where possible. It says everything a business man should not be, informal, lazy, lack of pride, easy going – not a style that give you the upper hand basically.

Above all no matter what you style all will be useless if you don’t groom well. Be well shaven, fresh breath, tidy hair, ensure everything is ironed and try to look as healthy as possible – NOT tired and drained of energy.

So using the guide above you can now be sure you know what you are saying before you’ve even said a word!