Color in the work place

Oregon is really drab this time of year the sky is grey and the leaves have all fallen off the trees. Most Oregonians take to wearing neutrals with their rain parkas.  The office staple here seems to be  khakis, . Not the beautiful crisp chinos, but the bad, ill fitting, pleated variety. Ug! 

I have been looking for a job and everyone I'm competing against wore black to the last several interviews. I have a colorful personality. So that should be reflected in my wardrobe choices. This weeks focus was on color. I certainly stood out from the rest of the candidate pool. But I think that have me an advantage I had one of the HR directors ask me about my MK bag. Another person remembered me from a provirus interview and commented that I have great taste

If color intimidates you ask yourself these simple questions. Do you have a signature color? Do you know what colors look good on you? Start with your favorite color and go from there.

My favorite colors are pinks, teals and yellow.   My signature color is pink. It is the color I get most often complemented on when I wear it and when people see something hot pink they think if me. My favorite lipstick is a gorgeous hot pink MAC "girl about town," it totally reminds me of gossip girl. 

To start wearing more color select a neautral color. Grey, black, white, cream, tan, olive green, or navy.  Then select a color that complements your neutral . You can wear orange with navy or white for a preppy look. Or pink with black. Teals with greys ect. The idea is to slowly add in color in pops until you feel comfortable. Color blocking is fun. If you have a navy blue suit you can wear it with an orange blouse. Don't be afraid to experiment.

Select a neutral that works for your coloring and life style. Neutrals are so boring when you wear them head to toe no one wants to eat plain oatmeal for breakfast everyday or stare at a drab you! My skin is khaki so when I wear it I look awful. So I flat out refuse. I can however wear navy, grey, cream and olive green as neutrals. My favorite neutral is charcoal grey because it is most often marbled or heatherd and does not show the dog hair that I battle with everyday. It is also almost black so it pairs with everything. I am of the impression that black is just as hard to care for as white. Both show stains mercilessly. While white yellows with age black fades. I tend to not buy anything black unless it passes the hand swipe test. I take a few dog hairs and place them on the garment if I swipe my hand once and they don't fly off its a waste of money, I'll never wear it. I'm loving the faux leather skirts and tops that are available right now. They add some edge to florals and will look great for evenings. And the dog hair doesn't stick. 

I hope my thoughts inspire you to wear color and let your personality shine. 

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