Your tie colour says a lot about you

tie colour

Justice Simango

Colour is the first thing that others notice and recall, but although we react to it differently, understanding its use and meaning is paramount if we seek to maintain a competitive business image. All colours have both positive and negative effects.

One of the easiest skills that I quickly learnt from my father when I was a little boy was to tie my shoe laces. This is probably the most common activity every child does and the most common method of lacing normal shoes and boots was simply criss-crossing.

The challenge came later when my father began to teach me how to tie a knot. He loved to wear a neck tie to office, so he made me tie my school neck tie every morning in the Windsor knot style. One Monday morning, he said to me, ‘’son, the Windsor knot is worn  by those who feel that knots should not be too wild and tying your tie every time you wear it, is evidence that you are not of the wild.’’

These were sincere words coming from a parent-but I then thought of all my friends who at that time used to repeat the same tie knots from previous weeks- where they from the wild? The sentiments left me puzzled but on the other hand, it gave me the zeal to find out more about ties and their meaning.

The neck tie reigns supreme and is the preferred choice for work, church and events. Politicians who have image advisors on hand like President Mnangagwa always looks the part in royal neck ties.

Colour experts say the blue tie conveys trust, calm, peace and dependability, and can be worn to establish trust and credibility. Conversely, the red tie brigade are attempting to project power, energy, strength and assertiveness, in a bid to be noticed and appear authoritative. Red however may also be construed as threatening, aggressive, stressful and dangerous.

I have kept a close eye on President Mnagagwa’s dress code ever since his inauguration on the 24th of November 2017 to date. Everyone remembers how

His Excellency was smartly rigged in a clean white shirt and ‘a red neck tie’ at the historic event that was held at the National Sports Stadium in Harare.

The vast of his visits to Southern African countries, President Mnagagwa was seen in a red or blue neck tie. At the just ended World Economic Forum (WEF) he was interviewed wearing a red tie diluted with a beautiful scarf coated with the national flag colours to signify patriotism.

Wearing the power tie (red tie) suggests you mean business; this is supported by Mr. Trump, who was also putting on the white shirt-red tie combination on his inauguration on January 20, 2017. During Barack Obama’s state of the nation address and all other important public forums, he was seen in a red or blue neck tie.

The blue tie is perfect for client facing or public speaking. The lighter blue shade is softer and appears more appealing to the audience. A darker shade conveys seriousness though most professionals go for the darker shade. My father always put on a blue tie on Mondays, I am quite sure it said a lot about him and the day being the first of the weeks race, he set the pace.  The darker the suit, the more influence it has.  In the contemporary business era, shades of charcoal and navy are a good selection for corporate men. Black and white are technically not a colour, though it is becoming more common in business.

However,  the rule of thumb for men is that, the tie must always feature one of the colours of the shirt in a harmonizing or rather contrasting shade.

On a different note, I have noticed that corporate ladies have a deep attraction to men who combine shirts and ties in pink or lilac tones. These colours can send a subliminal message that the man is intuitive and understands women.

To all the gentlemen preparing for a job interview, the royal yellow or gold neck tie will help you prove your level of confidence and preparedness. Throw away the shiny glittering yellow ties, they will not help you stand out from the crowd, instead, you will appear as if you are from the wild.

I have seen quite a number of organizations that have designed green neck ties for their male staff to be part of the uniform. Everything we put on or apply on our body will make or break our professional image and our organizational brands and now I understand why these companies chose green. The colour symbolizes practicality, reliability and implies being down to earth. The brighter shade of green suggests that, you are balanced, fresh and energetic. To give a serious implication to your customers, a darker shade of green neck ties will drive your objectives through.

Wool, silk or satin, the material that your tie is made out of says a lot about you and so choosing a fabric is a very important decision.

During my father’s days, the choice was simple – silk if you were rich, polyester if you weren’t and that was about it. Nowadays, the options are more varied; although polyester is still an option, there are so many brilliant ties out there that it really shouldn’t be much of an option.

We have adopted so many things from the western countries, even wearing bow ties to special occasions, like weddings, but do we really know what the tie says about us? A bow tie means a lot of things, I barely wear a bow tie, but whenever I decide to put on one, I want to make a statement; it helps me silently tell people that I am creative and I just think outside the box. But I will never wear a bow tie to a boardroom meeting.

Most people have a favourite colour and this will probably influence their choice of tie. Many will have a preference for plain ties, whilst others will feel that a pattern is essential. Those that go for a tie that’s plain, or faintly patterned, in one colour will likely enjoy the uniformity that a plain tie shows. You will always keep people guessing about you and won’t give a lot away. Brighter colours show a more exuberant side of your personality and patterned ties in pin check add an element of complexity to the wearer.

-Justice Simango is a Business Etiquette and Grooming Consultant who writes in his own capacity. He is a member of Toastmasters International.

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