Colour Guide to Choosing your Interview Outfit

Congratulations – you’ve been invited to an interview. Now you start to get nervous. You’ve practiced how to answer the tough questions and you’ve even practiced the handshake. But what are you going to wear? You need the outfit that’s going to give you that boost of confidence, and give you the edge you want to be successful. 

Before you rush off and spend a lot of money on an interview suit, consider what colour you’ll be choosing. You may inadvertently buy something that makes you look washed out or even unhealthy. If you don’t have time to consult a colour analyst, do a quick DIY colouring assessment before you waste hard-earned cash.

Is your colouring more like that of :-
Category 1 - Tom Cruise, Huw Edwards, Dawn French, Judi Dench (cool colouring)
These people can successfully wear clear, strong shades of grey or navy, teamed with white. Black can be worn – but with care (see below).

Category 2 - Kiefer Sutherland, Kenneth Branagh, Jennifer Saunders, Nicole Kidman (warm colouring)
These people are more suited to muted shades of grey or navy, teamed with soft white, cream or ivory.

The Suit – Do’s & Don’ts
· Black – don’t be tempted to buy a black suit (even if it is useful for funerals and weddings!), because black is a very ruthless colour, especially teamed with pure white. This strong contrast creates an air of authority and can put distance between the interviewer and yourself (think of a policeman uniform).
· Navy - for a good investment and a safe option, choose a good navy suit - it suits most skintones.
· Charcoal grey – dark charcoal will look good on category 1 people, whereas a brownish charcoal will be better for category 2 people.
· Brown, olive green and taupe suits are rarely seen as professional and are associated more with a casual or creative context.

The Shirt/Blouse – Do’s & Don’ts
· White shirts and blouses are always a safe bet, but category 2 people should look for a soft white (ice cream colour) or ivory, which is more complimentary. Any guys who have a problem with 5 o’clock shadow would be advised to avoid blue shirts as blue tends to emphasise the shadow. Black or brightly coloured shirts are not a safe bet at interview.

The Little Things that Count
This is your opportunity to really compliment your natural colouring and highlight your individuality in a subtle way (no Homer Simpson socks please!).

· Category 1 – take a dark charcoal grey suit with a white shirt and you can soften the effect with a tie/silk scarf colour combination such as soft grey, silver, pink, pale blue or purple. Best accessories would feature silver metals, stainless steel, black leather, blue or diamond stones (e.g. spectacle frames, watches or earrings).

· Category 2 - team a warm charcoal suit, with an ivory shirt and use a tie or scarf which has an element of warm brown, gold, or rust in it. Warm colouring calls for gold metals, tortoiseshell or brown spectacle frames, amber stones in earrings, a gold watch and a brown leather strap.

Socks, Shoes and Hosiery – Do’s & Don’ts
Shoes get noticed. Black leather is a good investment as it tones with black or grey and can even be worn with navy. Brown shoes are less professional and are associated with more casual or creative environments. Always try to tone shoe colour with hemline (of trousers or skirt). Guys – invest in a thin leather sole – the thicker the sole, the less professional the image.

It should be a criminal offence to wear white socks with a suit.  Choose black socks which are long enough to cover calves when sitting down. Women – always wear hosiery (even on the hottest day of the year) because bare legs look unfinished and not business-like. If you tone the colour of your hosiery to your hemline and shoes (barely black is a good all-rounder), it also creates a slimmer line than if you wear flesh coloured hosiery.

Everyone is unique.  The trick is to stand out from the crowd.  You can achieve this by finding out which colours suit you best and then using this information to express your individuality, boost your confidence and increase your chances of making that most important first impression, in today’s competitive marketplace. Politicians and celebrities do it – why shouldn’t you?

Make a Positively Smart move today, contact Sue Smart at Positively Smart on 07970 619124 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it