COLOR: Use It Wisely

(from February 2005 issue of IMAGE TIPS, by Sandy Dumont)

When Donald Trump wore a pink tie recently, it gave out false signals. Everyone assumed it was a new “Power Tie.” Immediately, clients telephoned me to report that they had not been able to find pink ties in shops. They wondered if I knew where to get one? Of course: in Palm Beach, where one of Donald Trump’s homes is situated!

Colors increase in power as they get darker. Consequently, pastel ties are not made of “Board Room” stuff. They are better suited to country clubs, where they signal, “I’m out for a leisurely evening, a cruise on my yacht, or an afternoon by the pool for drinks.” Or, in Palm Beach, where because of the climate, they are simply de rigueur - worn around the clock and throughout the year. Elsewhere, they send mixed signals and are not likely to tell others that you are dynamic, energetic and a leader.

In Your Face

When one has “made it to the top” there is sometimes the tendency to dress in an “in-your-face” manner. Witness the hoards of dot.com executives in tee shirts and jeans; or brash young CEOs in Manhattan, Los Angeles or Paris who wear blazers with black Armani tee-shirts in silk. Don’t think of strutting into your boss’s office to ask for a raise or promotion dressed in this manner, however. You could get booted out, as was the case with two investment bankers who arrived at the New York office of Joseph Abboud without ties.

Abboud says, “I think they were trying to send the message that they were young, hip and aggressive, but they blew it because they offended me by being too casual.” Wearing a pink tie could be just as offensive to your boss or prospective client. It could be read as “In Your Face” or “I don’t dress to impress you, I dress to please myself.”

When you are the one who says, “You’re fired,” you may, indeed, subscribe to the motto, “Do as I say, not as I do.” If, however, you are the one who is looking for immediate credibility or tools for getting on the fast track to success, a pink tie may not be your weapon of choice. Ultimately, would anyone want to copy Donald Trump’s hairstyle in the hopes of getting ahead? Probably not. And copying his pink tie is an equally bad idea.