what color to wear to an interview

We all know that dressing professionally for an interview can make a good first impression on employers, but what about the colors of your attire? Have you ever wondered why doctors wear white or police officers blue? Or why is black for strength and red for passion?

Different colors affect people in different ways, with emotions ranging from trust to apathy and everything in between. For years, color psychologists and scientists have been studying the effects of color and how people respond to the different colors listed below. Keep this in mind when choosing what colors to wear to an interview.

Black: Represents authority, power and drama. Black can also make you appear inaccessible and overwhelming. So avoid using it in job interviews unless used sparingly or as an accent color.

White: Symbolizes purity, chastity and cleanliness. White is a neutral color that goes with just about anything. It is usually worn with shirts and blouses year-round.

blue: Indicates tranquility, authority, trust and loyalty. It is the best-selling color worldwide and the color with the highest job interview success rate. Blue is the ultimate “power color.”

Brown: Addresses reliability and stability issues. It is the color of the earth and is abundant in nature. Brown created a neutral environment for open discussion.

beige and tan: Similar to brown, it is an earth color that calms, relieves stress, and promotes communication. These colors are considered unconfident and passive.

grey: Indicates neutrality and maturity. After blue, it is the second most popular color for job interviews. If you want to look confident in black without being overpowering, go for gray.

Red; Suggests heat, danger, strength, passion and strength. The most emotional color, red can stimulate faster heartbeat and breathing. Use red as an accent color to motivate people to make quick decisions and raise expectations. It can also add mood to a job interview, so avoid wearing a lot of red.

orange: Likes red, can arouse strong emotions. Associated with warmth and autumn, people who wear orange are thought to have strong personalities. Bright orange, like bright red, draws attention and evokes strong emotions, so dress modestly for a job interview.

yellow: Promotes a wide range of emotions, from cheer and kindness to caution and jealousy. However, people were more likely to lose their temper in yellow rooms than in rooms of other colors. It’s the hardest color for the eyes to absorb, so it can be overwhelming if overused. Wear it in small doses during job interviews.

green: Indicates nature, success, wealth and safety. Green is a calming, refreshing color, the easiest color to catch the eye, and the most relaxing. Dark green is the implication of masculinity, conservativeness and wealth. People don’t need to stand out in job interviews to feel comfortable with you.

purple: Symbolizes royalty, abundance, power and sensitivity. It is also the color of passion and love. Purple is often seen as a “feminine” color, so avoid wearing it to job interviews with strong gender biases.

pink: Stimulates a range of emotions, from fun and excitement to calm and low energy. Pink is considered a feminine color and, like purple, should be worn sparingly in a job interview.