What Colors to Wear So You Don't Blow the Job Interview

It depends on the type of job you’re interviewing for.

Is it a conservative corporate position?
Or do you need to show how creative you are?

Colors not to wear:

Red gives the impression you’re not a team player.
You’re only concerned about yourself.

Brown can make you disappear into the woodwork.
It won’t cause you to attract attention.
It can seem safe and boring and a bit stodgy.
One caveat though—if it’s a particularly rich shade of
black-brown that matches your hair exactly,
the effect can be terrific.

Yellow makes you appear flighty, whimsical;
people won’t take you seriously. You’ll look somewhat
impulsive and possibly a poor risk.

Orange is a "declassifier."
You’ll appear less than classy. Orange is not good for
any business situation as it’s the least professional color.
It can look cheap no matter how expensive the garment.

Black and white are often suggested,
but the high contrast is highly authoritarian.
You may seem to be challenging the authority of the interviewer.
This may be a questionable choice even in a conservative arena.

Pink is passive. Good for gaining sympathy and
soft-hearted responses, but don’t count on it to make you
look competent or like future promotion material.

Colors to wear:

Navy carries authority without being overbearing.
Shades of blue, in general, imply all of the boy scout attributes:
brave, reverent, trustworthy, loyal, etc.

Gray makes you appear balanced, and unbiased.
It’s a calm, respectable, neutral color.
Wear it if you need to project a very conservative image.
Dark gray works best for this situation. Light gray will
virtually make you go unnoticed.

Green in dark,neutralized tones,like forest or hunter,
are acceptable. Green used to make you appear predictable and
backward thinking, so if you needed to look like the visionary
thinker, this wasn't the best choice. But now, with America
"going green," you may be seen as progressive.

Purple is a great alternative to navy or gray in
business situations where you need to project confidence and
individuality. Stick to neutralized medium to dark purples.
They’re professional and appropriate. Avoid purple if you need to
fit in rather than stick out.

Leah Oman, AICI, CIP, certified image professional, has been serving
the Denver Metro area since 2000. If you need help finding the perfect outfit for your job interview, call her at 303-471-7373.

Best of luck in your job search!

Copyright, August 2010
Leah R. Oman
www.thesmarterimage.com