How to choose the right colours to wear when speaking from stage

One of my Linked in connections, Saskia Jennings asked me the following colour question

” Hi Karen, I love colors! I’m an orange fan. I’m energetic, dynamic and creative…I have 4 speaking events for 50 business people. What colors would you recommend me to wear and why? Looking forward to your suggestions. ”

I was also asked a similar question from @John__Cassidy, known as the headshot guy and a question on facebook about the colours to wear workshops and presentations so it is obviously something people want to know about.

(Day 26 into my 30 blogs in 30 days challenge!)

Every time you select a colour to wear you are taking a statement of how you are feeling and how you want others to interact with you

First impression is everything.

Wearing colours that don’t resonate with your authentic personality and physical colouring are likely to create a strain, both physically and emotionally, not just for you, but crucially, how others respond to you.

Three Top Tips when picking colours to wear for your speaking engagements

1. How do you want to feel?
2. How do you want your audience to respond to you?
3. Choose the right tone of colours, combination of colours and proportion to support this.

Colour will support the outcome you want.
Here is a selection of colours showing some of their positive and negative psychological effects.

Please note: The negative effects of a colour will be felt by those interacting with you if you wear a tone that doesn’t resonate with your authentic psychological personality and suit your physical colouring.

Pink
Positive – nurtured and loved
Negative –  weak, needy

Yellow
Positive – optimism, confidence, self-esteem
Negative – irrational, anxious, emotionally fragile

Green
Positive – peaceful, relaxed
Negative – stagnating, bored, lifeless

Light Blue
Positive – calm, reflective
Negative – cold, distant, unfriendly

Dark Blue
Positive – calm, focused
Negative – aloof, cold, unfriendly

Red
Positive – energised, physical courage, passion
Negative – aggressive, defiant, angry

Violet  
Positive – self-reflection, spiritual awareness
Negative – self indulgent ‘navel gazing’, overtly introspective

Orange
Positive – fun, joy, sensuality
Negative – frivolous, immature

Brown
Positive – grounding, support, reliable
Negative – humourless, too serious, lack of sophistication

White
Positive – clarity, purity, simplicity
Negative – cold, puts up barriers, unfriendly

Grey 
Positive – hides the personality, protection from other
Negative – Lack of confidence, lack of energy.

Black
Positive – emotional safety, creating protective barrier
Negative – cold, unapproachable, menacing, heaviness.

There is also a myth that black is slimming. Check out my article
is black slimming…?

Check out my other personal branding related blog posts.

Part of my 30 blogs in 30 days challenge series. Check out my other posts.