If you are attending a business conference, interviewing for a new job, or going out to dinner, you might worry about what the colors in your suit convey about you as a person. The message you want to convey will differ based on the situation, so it's vital that you select the most appropriate suit color for your event.
Introduction
Color can impact how you feel, your mood, the mood of people around you, how others feel toward you, and even your behavior. Therefore, figuring out the best color suit for all occasions is imperative. You certainly want to avoid wearing anything that might not land you the job for which you are interviewing or sends the wrong message on a date.
Color Psychology
An entire field is related to the psychology of color, most often used for marketing purposes. Different colors can send messages based on cultural background, age, and even gender. And if you understand the best suit colors for men, you can influence the emotional responses you receive based on what you wear.
Best suit colors for different occasions
The best color of suit is navy blue. Navy blue represents the best suit colors for men across North America. The second best color of suit is charcoal gray. Both of these are somewhat intimidating, but both speak to trustworthiness and reliability. This makes them great options for things like job interviews, business meetings, or casual business events. They work well on a night out on the town, graduation, and everything in between.
Job interviews
The best colors to wear to job interviews include:
Black
Navy blue
Grey
Brown
Always pair these with neutral-colored shirts underneath and a tiny bit of personality in the accessories.
This, of course, is subdivided into conservative industries and creative ones. With creative endeavors, you want to focus on colors like blue, green, and even indigo, whereas the best color of suit for a conservative industry is still going to be the classic black, dark blue, gray, or brown that sends a message of authoritative decision making.
Business meetings and conferences
The best colors to wear for business conferences or other meetings include:
Light gray
Blue
Possibly black
There are still plenty of messages you can send in your accessories alone. You can pair a gray or black suit with red accessories like a red tie and still send the message that you are firm in your decision-making, stick to deadlines and details, but should also be someone respected or a little bit intimidating. This is something equally useful when on a date: wearing a darker-colored suit with a red tie can send the right message.
Science confirms that the same tack, when used by women, doesn't necessarily get similar results. A woman wearing red as her accessory or as part of a business suit is more likely to convey attraction rather than strength and power like that of men.
Casual business events and networking
The best colors for suits for more casual business meetings include:
Navy blue
Grey
Sometimes the best suit colors for men are blue, especially when you want to provide a feeling of calm temporarily. Some research indicates that blue is incredibly calming and conveys the wearer as trustworthy to the other people in the room.
This feeling is only temporary, but it's enough to get you in the door if you are networking or attending casual business events where you might need to gain the trust of a potential client or customer before proving to them why your company or product is worth the investment.
Avoid black for more casual events, as this comes off as too formal and domineering.
Weddings
The best colors for suits wear at weddings will vary dramatically based on the type of wedding and your role in that wedding but, in general, include:
Charcoal gray
Black
Dark blue
Daytime and summer weddings
The best colors for suits for daytime and summer weddings take a sharp turn away from the traditional darker hues and focus more on beige, light gray, and even white. These colors have a calming and relaxed feel to them, conveying things like comfort and tranquility.
Evening & formal weddings
With evening and formal weddings, traditional black colors will send a message of formality and structure, what you might want if you are the groom or any of the groomsmen.
Social events
Social events cover a broad range of activities, so finding the best suit color for all occasions can be vital because you might not be able to afford or even want to wear several suits for every party, dinner, theater program, graduation, or funeral.
For events like dinner parties, the theater, or graduation, navy blue or charcoal gray are formal options that aren't nearly as striking or somber as black.
In fact, navy blue is the most popular color for social events because it is more relaxed than formal black, while charcoal gray still speaks to a formal outing without being too formal. With social events, you have a great deal more flexibility in terms of what accessories you wear, such as vests, cufflinks, pocket squares, and ties, all of which can be more brightly colored than might be acceptable at work.
Funerals
For funerals, you still want black. While there are many options when it comes to the best suit colors for men, black remains the social go-to for somber events, particularly funerals. It helps draw attention away from the individual and toward the matter at hand.
If you don't have a black suit, you can go with a darker color like charcoal gray or navy blue, but nothing you wear should distract from the occasion. You want to make sure your color is muted, and you don't have any bold tie colors or accessories to go with the outfit.
Summing Up
Overall the best color suit for all occasions is either navy blue or light gray. However, it is important that you consider the context when selecting your suit colors. Remember to include your personal preferences and comfort alongside that appropriateness. The best colors for suits to wear at a hostile takeover for a business differ greatly from what you would wear to a summer wedding.