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Linda Thomas AICI CIP designs and delivers
“Image Awareness”
programs throughout corporate America. Linda earned the credentials
of Certified Image Professional through the Association of
Image Consultants International, is an award winning member
of the National Speakers Association of North Texas and a
published author. |
The Power of Color in Mainstream
Media
 If
you happened to catch a recent episode of TV’s zany
medical sitcom, “Scrubs” (April 12th, NBC), then
you probably enjoyed a chuckle or two as the characters explored
the power of color in their workplace. The janitor of the
fictional Sacred Heart Hospital requests a new uniform in
a new color. (He has grown tired of his dark grey shirt and
trousers.) His new uniform soon arrives: we notice that it
is the same style as before, but the color is now a soothing
robin’s egg blue. Immediately, the man’s colleagues
perceive an improvement in his demeanor. Gone is the image
of the troublemaker/instigator/loner that he formerly portrayed.
They no longer find him frightening which confuses him. Even
birds apparently feel comfortable in this presence, as they
light on his shoulders whenever he goes outdoors to relax.
Blue is America’s favorite color.
It soothes and reassures us. Medium shades of blue complement
most skin tones. People in general feel happy and find it
easy to trust someone when they wear blue.
 The
writers of the sitcom took this idea one step further when
they included a segment on the importance of accessories.
To illustrate their point, they chose the character of the
attorney who is an offbeat/sad/misfit type. One day, he decides
to wear an orange tie to work. Approaching the chief of surgery,
he complains that people are yelling at him and punching him.
It seems that they hate his orange tie. As if to accentuate
the problem, two more doctors glance at the attorney and promptly
hits him.
Orange is a color that most people find
irritating. Produced by combining red (which raises the observer’s
blood pressure) with yellow (which is a powerful color and
difficult to ignore), the color of orange arouses the emotions
of the viewer. It can be an excellent choice for clothing
worn while engaging in outdoor sports and other fun-in-the-sun
activities. But, in an indoor environment such as an office
or a hospital, the wearer usually discovers that he or she
is not being taken seriously. Colleagues may even be mildly
irritated by the orange clothing and attempt to avoid contact
with the wearer.
The power of color in our clothing is a concept to which
the mainstream media in this country are beginning to pay
attention to. I believe we will begin to see more references
made to the meaning of colors that are worn everyday. This
knowledge will contribute to the enhancement of the individual’s
personal power and effectiveness.
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