Finding Your Signature Color

Color elicits a powerful emotional response. Branding specialists know this, advertising agencies know this, and professional color consultants know this. It can make us eat more, buy more, sell more. Do you know the emotional response that you obtain when you wear color? What did you wear to the last formal event, funeral or serious meeting? What was the core color you wore? More than likely it was something dark and somber. Similarly, what did you wear to the last party or wedding you attended?

Understanding what color can do for you can set you apart from the competition. It can help you raise the bar, calm you, brand you and make you more memorable. Take for example UPS. What color comes to mind when you hear the name UPS-brown, right? The slogan “what does brown do for you” is secondary to the brown logo. The color brown, is the color of the earth. It symbolizes stability, sturdiness, reliability. It’s chocolate and who doesn’t love chocolate?

Companies spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to develop their brand identity and selecting a signature color is significant to the success of their overall brand. I once met a business owner that decided her “signature” color was red. Please use caution when wearing red. Red has been scientifically proven to be the most penetrating and energetic color. Remember where you see red-stop signs, emergency lights. Yes, it is a power tie, and worn in bits can be quite powerful. Worn too much, it can be very exhausting and send danger signals to your audience.

What is your brand identity, your signature color? Your signature color doesn’t just happen; you shouldn’t just decide one day to embrace a color without knowing how it looks physically on you and makes you feel. A signature color must be identified based on both your personal branding as well as the inherent, natural personal characteristics you were born with. Do you have pink, yellow, olive, or brown undertones in your skin? What color is your hair?

Color is 3 dimensional. To truly develop your signature color you must know all dimensions of your personal characteristics. A professional color analyst can help you determine your color palette. Only then you can begin to play with colors to see what your signature color can be.

Before going to a professional color analyst, a simple way to narrow down your choices is to ask yourself the following questions: (black or white are not options!)

1. What color do you get the most compliments on?
2. What color makes you feel really good when you wear it?
3. What color do you wear when you need to be powerful?

Be descriptive when you answer these questions. Is it blue or navy blue, green or lime green, orange or red orange? Once you have narrowed down your choices, begin to wear these colors in a variety of places and see what happens.

Everyday we are surrounded by color. The seasons give us bursts of color that calm us and yet excite us. What’s your signature color? Have fun with color, pause to give color the status it deserves. Understand what your signature color might do for you and see if it elevates the emotional response you get when you are communicating with others.

And remember to always look good, feel good and have fun doing it!