The Psychology Behind Dressing For Success: The Best Colors to Wear to an Interview

You just got the best phone call that you could have gotten today. It was a potential employer who wants to set up an interview with you in a day or so. You rush over to your closet to see what you have to wear for it.

What you find are a lot of clothing pieces of varying colors. It’s been a while since you’ve had to sit through an interview so you don’t remember the rules on clothing.

Luckily for you, we know the perfect thing for you to wear. Step back from your closet and breath as we take you through the best colors to wear to an interview.

1. Always Choose Solids Over Patterns

When you go into an interview you want the interviewer’s attention to stay on what you’re saying and what your qualifications are. You don’t want their mind to stay busy thinking about the wacky color patterns that you were wearing.

The best way to ensure that they pay attention to and remember you is to wear solid colors. If you want your outfit to have a little pizazz then you can go for small patterns. These patterns must be so small and thin that they look like solid colors from a distance though.

2. Neutrals are Better than Brights

Highlighter bright colors such as yellow will give you the same problem as wacky color patterns. You’ll be remembered as the canidate who hurt the interviewer’s eyes rather than your qualifications and skills.

That’s why you need to put on neutral colors. Your best bet is going to be black, brown, gray, and navy blue. You can get by with a white button-up shirt.

If you want to have a little pop of color then you can use a brighter one as an accent. You still may be remembered as the guy who wore a yellow tie but the impact won’t be as damaging.

3. Dark Vs. Light

Dark colors come across as more authoritative and business-like. That being said, the basic rule of thumb is the higher and more important position that you’re interviewing for, the darker you want your colors to be.

Light colors are fun and friendly but they just don’t hold the same kind of power that dark ones do.

4. Specific Color Meanings

Now that you know the basic rules on colors it’s time to get a little more specific. Here is an idea of what each color will say to an employer individually.

Black

Black is a color that many people wear to an interview. It holds a lot of power and can tell an interviewer that you’re sophisticated. It’s good if you’re trying to get a job in a law office.

It’s not so good if you’re applying to be an administrative assistant at a medical facility or hair salon because it makes you look unapproachable. If you’re interviewing in one of these more laid back environments and still want to wear black you can use it as an accent color. Wear a black tie or scarf.

White

White is going to be your color of choice for shirts and blouses. It shows off simplicity and makes you look organized even if you’re not. It’s also great if you want to add a splash of brightness to your outfit without looking like a walking, talking advertisement for Crayola.

Gray

Gray is a good neutral color that can make you look as sophisticated as a black does without coming across as unapproachable. On top of telling the interviewer that you are sophisticated, it also says that you’re independent and isolated.

This isn’t as much of a bad thing as it sounds. You’ll be telling everyone who sees you that you are self-sufficient and can think for yourself. Two traits that are highly sought after in many job fields.

Brown

Brown is a warm, earth tone that brings a calm feeling with it. By wearing it you may show a potential employer that you are dependable and trustworthy. Many companies such as UPS use brown in their marketing for this very reason.

Red

Red is a powerful color that exudes passion and energy. It’s a good color to wear if you’re trying to persuade someone to do something or impress them but you don’t want to go overboard with it.

Using it as a pop of color by wearing a red tie or scarf should be fine but if you’re wearing a loud red button up then you could give off the impression that you’re an emotional loose cannon.

Blue

Out of all the colors, blue is going to be the best one to go with. It brings the calming feeling of brown to an interview with the added bonus of making you look confident. Blue shows an interviewer that they can trust you with everything and anything.

Blue is also a popular favorite color choice so you may get lucky and connect with the interviewer because you’re wearing their favorite color.

The Best Color to Wear to an Interview if You Want the Job

When picking out an outfit for a job interview color is everything. Colors show an interviewer what you’ll be like as an employee without you having to tell them. You don’t want to mess up by accidently wearing something that tells them you would be unapproachable or too emotional.

We hope you’re able to make use of this guide on the best colors to wear to an interview to snag a job that you’ll love.

Are you ready to get acquainted with your next job? Contact us to get started.