One way to stand out is through colour and the colours you wear say more about your personality, personal brand and mood than you think.

How are you feeling? Full of life, creative and confident enough to take on the world? Chances are you are wearing something red. If you are feeling indifferent, or distant, you are probably dressed in black. Now that's got your attention, as most of us in the business world tend to have our wardrobes dominated by black. But do your realise bright colours always make you feel happier! And can have a positive effect on customers and clients.

So if you want to lighten up.... Brighten up!

Choose Colours that Compliment

When shopping for clothing, colour usually gets our attention first. Colour choices affect our mood and reveal personality traits. What does your wardrobe say about you? Do you use colour to counteract the blues? Do you find yourself drawn toward certain colours and avoid others? When you wear a certain colour do people tell you how great you look? Or perhaps they ask, are you well?

Why not experiment with some of the fabulous colour that's around this season.

WHITE traditionally symbolises innocence and purity and is often considered a summer colour. It's a cleansing colour that clears away old thoughts, stimulates new growth and opening up to new ideas. When wearing white people are often described as looking fresh, or crisp. White is because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything. However if you have warm-toned skin, choose to wear off-white as white is considered a cool colour.

PURPLE implies royalty, dignity and spirituality. It is also associated with wealth, luxury and elegance. It's a balancing colour. Wear purple when you feel stressed or sad as it promotes peace and restfulness. Purple is calming for yourself and others to look at and be around. It is said to stimulate your intuition and creativity.

GREEN calms your emotions and helps with relaxation. Performers and people waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to calm their nerves. Green is a refreshing colour and symbolises nature and fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. Green will be a very prominent colour this summer.

BLUE is known as the executive colour. Blue enhances your wisdom and stimulates self-awareness, so wear it when you are discussing important issues. Dark blue says, "I'm the boss". You are a person who knows who you are and where you are going! Blue stimulates the mind but can be seen as a cold colour. However it is also the colour of the sky and the ocean and is one of the most popular colours.

RED says success. Wear red to express power and to stand out in a crowd. A person who wears red is not afraid of showing a strong image. Red is stimulating, arousing and romantic, and excellent when you want to come up with ideas. If you want to boost your physical energy or overcome negative thinking and feeling of rejection wear RED. Since it is an extreme colour, red clothing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations.

YELLOW is an excellent colour to wear when you're feeling down. Yellow stimulates your desires, promotes positivity and prevents depression. It is a welcoming colour and good for communicating, so wear it when you want to sell yourself and your skills. It is cheery, optimistic and an attention getter. Although eye catching, it is a difficult colour for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused.

ORANGE promotes spontaneity and warmth. Orange is bold and cheerful and improves social behaviour. If you need some added motivation and fun wear orange as it's said to be an anti- depressant. It's a colour that is lively and active, helping to exude a dynamic or extroverted personality.

BROWN. Solid, reliable brown is the colour of earth. Those that wear a lot of brown are natural, casual, reliable and genuine. Mother Earth types for example. It's a warm colour and is said to promote restfulness and tranquillity. But brown can also be seen as a dull colour, very safe and conservative. To offset boring brown wear with an accent colour like orange or turquoise.

BLACK is a colour of authority and power. It is always popular in fashion, as it is stylish, timeless, elegant and slimming. Total black outfits can sometimes be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof .If you want to evoke mystery or aren't in the mood to talk, wear black. Black keeps you hidden, but can have a "keep your distance" effect on people. To come across as more approachable wear a different coloured shirt or top with an all black suit.

About the Author:

Sue Currie, the director of Shine Communications Consultancy and author of Apprentice to Business Ace - your inside-out guide to personal branding, is a business educator and speaker on personal branding through image and media. Sign up for free monthly tips on personal and professional PR at http://www.shinecomms.com.au/contactmanager/default.cfm and learn more about how you can achieve recognition, enhance your image and shine.

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