I recently talked with a client who told me she grew up believing black was the ultimate power colour. Whenever she needed to project or communicate authority, she had to wear an all-black outfit or at least dominate her outfit with black. Interesting, huh?

She probably got the message from my body language that I didn’t agree with her. When I got a chance, I asked her what authority meant to her. 

She gave me dictionary definitions like enforcing obedience or the right to act in a certain way, delegated from someone to someone else. At that moment, I could not help but say. I won’t call black a power colour. It’s understandable why many people see it that way. In my experience, I’ve worked with clients who believed black helped them exert authority. It ended up overwhelming or even intimidating those they engaged with.

A power colour, in my opinion:

• Specifically, the hue must give you the impression of having extremely healthy, all-my-cells-are-in-tip-top-shape youth. That’s babies’ bouncy, smooth skin, sparkly eyes, and so on. These are the youthful effects of your power colour on your skin tone. This will enable you to radiantly present yourself so that the colour of your outfit does not outshine your personality.
• Your power colour must enhance your personality and draw people to you in a way that would not be possible without it.
• Your power colour must be able to elevate your brand emotionally. This is so that the people you wish to attract can see you, and they should want to approach you and listen to what you have to say.

Black certainly doesn’t seem to be that colour without creating the feeling of being overwhelmed or intimidation. I’m sure it doesn’t seem black to you, either. Wearing black overwhelms the wearer and those you engage with; it visually pushes you back as if you are fading away. Your power colour will do the opposite. You come forward in them; you look present, strong, and powerful. Which you are, so why let the colours you wear lie about you?

• Maybe you don’t know this, but the colour black can induce feelings of depression, making people who love black reject the help of others and feel the need to renounce everything.

• Black is associated with silence, infinite, fear and the unknown (black holes).

Over a decade of helping Caucasians and Africans experience the benefits of unique colours, I’ve seen cases where people get these benefits without using the colour black. As it turns out, black is not a powerful colour after all. But, just in case you’re still skeptical. Let me confirm my claim with a no-cost, no-obligation personal colour assessment. Here’s the link: CLICK HERE to schedule a session with me.

You need to know which colour is your power colour if you want to succeed professionally and socially. The colours you choose for your brand and appearance make a first impression, so choose them wisely.

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