The Pigment Principle (part 1)

There is power in your closet and it is in the color of your clothes. All people have a physiological response to color. The following chart is to be used to dressappropriately for what you want to achieve. Assuming your closet is already filled with favorites where every item fits you perfectly (for the body as it honestly is today), look to the colors you choose to give you the extra impact to make all your goals a slam dunk! For businesswomen, the most effective colors are charcoal grey and navy blue. Even though spring is here and bright colors are in fashion, there is power in the colors we sometimes think of as boring or just for winter. When you are dealing with money, people and legal matters, your clients or prospects want to be reassured that you are dependable, trustworthy and focused on the matters at hand. The darker the shade of every color, the more down to earth and reliable you appear. Greys projects authority. Blues project trust. Darken these two colors and you can see why they are so effective when you go to a meeting to sign a contract, discuss a raise or promotion, or deal with lawyers and bankers. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the lighter a shade is, the softer your impact is on others. If you are a leader on a project in your company or an association, your purpose is not always to be in the limelight. There are times you need to gather information while NOT drawing attention to yourself. There are times you need to deliver hard news, conduct an exit interview or deal with a highly emotionally charged group of people. Pastel blue, soft yellows, light pinks will help you visually sooth the people you could be at odds with. These are situations when you do not wear red. Red is known as "the" power color, but here is the reasoning behind that. When we see red, our blood pressure increases slightly, as does our brain activity. What red is great for is when you are giving a presentation and you want people to remember what you said. Wearing red helps others more easily retain your message because their brain activity in a more heightened state when they hear your presentation and see you in red. Red is not the color to wear if you are announcing layoffs, bad news or any message that others will find upsetting. So many women have closets with an overabundance of black clothes. We tend to think it hides our flaws and/or extra weight. It can, but black does more than that. It is a great networking color among others in leadership positions. Yet when we are with subordinates, head-to-toe black can be seen as a wall around the authority figure that can stop the flow of open communication. People can see you as the leader (where you wear black), but may not volunteer feedback, insight or information if they do not want to challenge you as the leader. "She can handle it," may be the prevailing attitude as others remain in the background watching you handle the hard tasks. If you are a manager and your department is not forthcoming with you, you may be overwhelming them with the black in your wardrobe. Medium shades of any other color will draw others to you when you want more interaction. You can get a PDF version of this article and print it for later use at: http://www.powerfulappearance.com/articles/documents/pigment_prin ciples_1.pdf