When Joshua Blue, a vice¹ principal at the Kennedy School in Hong Kong, hosts an assembly for his students, he wears a light violet-coloured pastel tie to give him an edge.

The bluish-purple tie is “colourful yet muted”, he said, which Blue believes keeps students from being as bored when listening. On the other hand, he avoids brighter purples and pinks when standing² up in front of students.

“You don’t want so many bright colours that the kids will get distracted,” said Blue, 35.

It might sound a bit like hocus pocus, but experts say that no matter the audience — clients, staff or even children — picking the right tie colour can help get your message across.

“Colours give off very specific signals,” said David Zyla, New York-based author of Color Your Style. “The same suit can be transformed with different tie colours, each with a very different impact and message.”

Wondering what colour tie to wear to your next meeting? Here’s how to choose the perfect tie colour for every occasion:

All powerful reds

It’s not a coincidence that many politicians wear red-coloured ties with light shirts and darker suits.

“Red is the power tie,” said Mark Woodman, a trend analyst³ who studies colour in Laurel, Maryland, in the US. “There’s something about red that always comes back to strength and passion.”

But the tone of your reds matters, too. Darker reds, such as a burgundy, can help build trust, while lighter⁴ red and pink ties can be more of a statement about your personal style and be associated with creativity. In the last decade, a pink tie can sometimes signal “solidarity⁵ with women,” added Woodman.

When you are taking the lead on a project or want to convey a sense of ambition, consider a bold shiny red. A matte or printed red tie can be a more subtle way to convey power.

Royal purples

Ross Znavor, an executive in financial services in New York, wears purple ties rather than red to business meetings because the colour shows a bit of self-confidence and helps him create lasting⁶ first impressions.

Wearing a tie in a hue⁷ that’s less traditional shows clients, he is “comfortable in my own skin and someone with whom you want to build a relationship”, he said.

Lindsay said purple, traditionally a sign of royalty⁸ and wealth, is becoming more acceptable in the workplace.

“Men are wearing shades of lighter purple shirts and darker purple ties,” she said. Wear one of these shades if you want to stand out from the crowd with a slightly bolder look that’s not distracting.

Black affair

While you might not wear them to executive meetings on a regular basis, wearing black ties to a cocktail⁹ party or even an upscale dinner gives off a sophisticated vibe, said Zyla.

But beware: the formal black colour can feel arrogant¹⁰ or overdressed in many situations. “Avoid it if being one of the ‘boys’ at work is necessary as you climb up the ladder,” Zyla said.

It’s often smarter to stick to grey shades, added Woodman. A grey tie can help give you a more sophisticated look without seeming pretentious¹¹, said Woodman.

“Grey is kind of edgy¹² and it can look very modern,” he said. To pull it off, pair it with a lighter, pastel-coluored shirt. Look for lighter grey shades and shiny finish for a more polished look.

Shades of the garden

Green can signal several things, from rebirth to the colour of money in some countries. But, surprisingly, it can be too loud for the workplace.

“Do you want to be remembered for the tie or who you are as an individual?,” Woodman asked. Choosing the right green can be tough. A bright green is often too distracting, and it can also be difficult to find matching suits or shirts, he added. Still, a light green tie with a subtle print can pair well with a neutral-coloured shirt.

Yellow is a traditional tie colour in countries, including England, which can signal assuredness, along with radiance and vitality¹³, he said.

Yellow ties can make you more approachable to colleagues because it’s a vibrant¹⁴ colour that’s symbolic¹⁵ of the sun. For many, wearing a yellow tie, “can show optimism and a positive outlook on life,” added Eve Roth Lindsay, an image consultant¹⁶ in Hong Kong.

Be careful of committing cultural faux pas when it comes to colour. For example, a yellow tie in India can signal that someone is a merchant, said Zyla. Wearing a white tie in China signals a period of mourning.

Fifty shades of... blue

Afraid of sending the wrong message with your tie colour? Consider blue as the all-purpose tie hue.

Blue ties are a good investment because the colour reminds people of the sky and ocean, which has a calming effect, said Lindsay.

“Blue is the safest colour to wear,” she said.

Patterned blue ties tend to give off a classic professional feel and can be worn in a global business environment without sending the wrong message. A subtle blue can be “soft and introspective” while a cobalt or royal blue can help you stand out just the right amount, she said. “Dark blues¹⁷ are often reminiscent of well-respected pilot uniforms. Navy blue is a trusted colour and gives us confidence,” Lindsay said.

Be one with nature

“A more relaxed wardrobe of friendlier colours such as tan, brown, earthy colours, salmon¹⁸ and yellow works for people dealing¹⁹ with other people such as sales, teachers and the service industry,” said Lindsay.

Make sure the brown tie does not look too plain, because it can signal a dull personality. A beige tie can sometimes come across as too relaxed, she said. Avoid pairing earth tone hues²⁰ with similarly coloured shirts. And if you are eager for a promotion²¹ and want to stand out in the workplace, skip these colours altogether.

坚尼地小学（Kennedy School）的副校长约书亚·布卢（Joshua Blue）在给学生讲话时，一条粉紫色领带给他增色不少。

布卢说，紫中带蓝的领带“多彩而柔和”。他觉得这能让学生听他说话时，不至于想打瞌睡。另外，在学生面前发言，他不会选择亮紫色和粉色领带。

“不要用太多的亮色，这会让孩子们分心，”35岁的布卢说。

这听起来可能有点荒唐，但专家说，不管是观众——顾客，员工甚至是孩子——挑对了领带颜色能帮你传信达意。

写了《用颜色秀出你的风格》（Color Your Style）的纽约作家大卫·兹拉（David Zyla）说：“颜色会传递特定的讯息”。他还表示：“不同的领带颜色让每一件西装看上去都与众不同，每一种颜色都会产生不同的影响，传递不同的讯息。”

在想下一次开会要系什么颜色的领带？下面的小贴士能帮你选出匹配每个场合的最佳领带。

万能的红色

很多政治家都热衷系红色领带，穿浅色衬衫和深色西装，这并不是巧合。

“红色领带象征权力，”美国马里兰州劳雷尔市（Laurel）研究色彩的潮流分析师马克·伍德曼（Mark Woodman）说，“谈及红色，总绕不开力量和激情。”

但红色的色调也很重要。深红色，比如酒红，能帮你树立威信，而浅红和粉红色领带则更多彰显的是你的个人风格，与创造力挂钩。近十年，粉色领带有时也表示“团结女性”，伍德曼补充道。

如果你在带一个项目，或想彰显你的雄心，可以考虑一下大胆的鲜红色。麻面或印花红领带能低调地展现权力。

贵族紫

在纽约一家金融公司工作的高管罗斯·基纳尔（Ross Znavor）参加商务会议时，系紫色而不是红色的领带，因为他觉得紫色能显示自信，帮他留下持久的第一印象。

见客户时，系一条不那么常见颜色的领带，说明这个人“大方自信，也让你想和他建立联系”，他说。

琳赛（Linsay）说，传统意义上，紫色是贵族和财富的象征，现如今越来越为办公室所接受。

“眼下男士开始穿浅紫衬衫，系深紫领带，”她说。如果你想脱颖而出，用一点大胆色调搭配这些领带也无妨。

高贵冷艳的黑色

兹拉说，你可能平时不会系黑领带去参加高管会议，但它绝对是鸡尾酒会和高级晚宴的好伴侣，系上它，一种高大上的感觉油然而生。

但注意了：在很多场合，黑色会给人一种傲慢嚣张或过度装扮的感觉。兹拉说：“如果你还只是办公室‘小弟’，那你在往上爬的过程中要小心避免这一点。”

伍德曼补充说，灰色是更为明智的选择。灰色领带能让你看上去老练却不做作。

他说：“灰色看上去略显精明又不失时尚感，”要想穿出范儿，一件淡色衬衫绝对少不了。如果想要看上去更加光彩熠熠，除了一条浅灰色领带，亮色处理必不可少。

花园色

绿色会传递一些讯息，从再生到一些国家的钞票颜色。但，小心了，绿色在办公室可是很扎眼的。

伍德曼问道：“你是想因为领带而被人记住，还是想因为自己本身而被人记住？”他还表示，选个合适的绿色还真不容易。亮绿色通常太扎眼，想找个西服或者衬衫搭配也困难。但是，一条浅印花的淡绿领带和一件素色衬衫堪称是完美组合。

他说，在很多国家，包括在英国，黄色是传统的领带色。它给人一种自信、活力的跃动感。

黄色会让你在同事中更具亲和力，因为它代表了活力，是太阳的象征。对很多人来说，系黄色领带“显示了对积极向上的生活观”，香港的形象顾问伊芙·罗斯琳赛（Eve Roth Lindsay）补充道。

兹拉说，在颜色选择上，要注意避免文化失误。比如，在印度，黄色领带可以说明这个人是个商人。在中国，白领带是悼念的时候系的。

一半的……蓝色

担心领带颜色让人误解？考虑一下最保险的蓝色吧。

琳赛说，蓝色领带值得购买，因为它让人想到蓝天大海，有心平气和之效。

“蓝色是最保险的颜色，”她说。

她说，印花蓝领带释放一种经典又不失专业的感觉，系上它出席国际商业会晤，也无须担心传递错误讯息。浅蓝会给人一种“柔和内敛”之感，而钴蓝色和宝蓝色在助你成为焦点的同时，又不会给人过分张扬的错觉。琳赛表示：“深蓝常与让人肃然起敬的飞行员制服挂钩。藏青色可以放心使用，它能给人自信。”

自然色

琳赛说：“那些和销售、老师、服务业人员打交道的人，可以选择一些更为轻松的色调，比如棕褐色。棕色、大地色、橙红色和黄色。”

她说，确保你的棕色领带看上去不会太普通，不然这会让人觉得你很无趣。米黄色领带有时会让人觉得过于随意。系了大地色领带就不要再穿颜色一样的衬衫了，如果你很想升职，想在办公室脱颖而出，那碰都别碰这些颜色了。