What colors are considered unprofessional?
You might think that only black, navy blue, and gray are considered professional colors. But this isn't necessarily the case. You can wear any color (or combination of colors) if it fits your profession and is appropriate for the occasion.
But that’s just it, right? How do you know what fits or is appropriate?
For instance, a lawyer might wear either black or navy blue but most likely never orange, right? It just doesn’t work.
And guess what? There are reasons for that!
Let us show you which colors are regarded as “unprofessional” and why.
Which colors are considered unprofessional?
Some of the most unprofessional colors include pink, orange, yellow, green, and purple. These colors are usually too flashy or bold to be worn in professional situations when you want to look more serious and authoritative.
But please note that our selection isn’t applicable to every job in the world. Certain professions simply require you to wear unconventional colors.
Does The Color Fit and Is It Appropriate?
As we’ve already established many times in our articles, the color you wear plays a large role in how people perceive you.
This, in turn, is one of the most important reasons why certain uniforms adhere to given color schemes – worldwide!
Doctors typically wear white, builders wear bright yellow or orange, and financial service providers wear shades or tones of blue or gray. Police uniforms are either dark blue or black and Buddhist monks’ robes are orange.
Professions are almost always associated with certain clothing colors. Pick any job. We’re sure when you picture a person in the corresponding attire, they’ll have some sort of notable color scheme to their wardrobe, no?
Stagehands wear all black, IT personnel opts for black printed shirts and blue jeans, carpenters wear mostly brown or tan clothing, and so on – you get the picture.
Obviously, this is all just prejudice and shouldn’t be taken too seriously. There are always exceptions. But, nonetheless, prejudices come from somewhere, right?
This fact is exactly what makes an outfit (or its color) appropriate or not.
It all has to do with the connotation. Which color suits which profession best and which should be avoided because we (as humans) just aren’t used to seeing them?
Quick Guidelines and Examples
Here are some guidelines on what colors would look good in certain professions and which ones should be avoided:
Most professions have a certain clothing color scheme associated with them.
Medical staff typically wears white. It symbolizes cleanliness and purity, making it a great choice in the first place. However, a doctor will want to avoid wearing green because people sometimes associate it with death. However, other colors like browns, blue-greens, and purples are fine.
If you work in a rather casual office environment, then khaki pants or skirts are perfect for you since they match most decor without being too distracting. Keep your top solid instead of patterned and stick to colors like white, beige, and gray. Try not to wear too much black. It could be too serious looking in a more casual office setting.
A teacher will want to wear a shirt that's not too revealing and has sleeves. Some ideal colors for such a shirt would be light pink, white, and lavender because they're soft and subdued. They have a soothing effect on viewers – especially children.
A business executive might wear any color that fits their company's dress code and is appropriate for their level of authority. The more fun and casual the business setting, the lighter and brighter the colors can go. Darker colors are considered more professional and serious when it comes to business.
Waiters can go with light pink, white, and light blue. These are colors that make people look younger and give off a fun and quirky vibe. More prestigious establishments should stick to more serious colors like dark gray or burgundy, though.
Consultants should opt for any color that works best for their clientele. By that, we mean they should stick to what their clients are wearing and neither underperform nor overshoot. They might want to stay away from patterns, though, since they can be distracting.
An administrative assistant should stick to solid colors like brown, black, gray, and navy blue. Wearing too much white should be avoided because it might look too attention-grabbing.
Warm Colors Are Too Casual for Work
Generally speaking, warm colors are considered unprofessional. These include colors such as reds, oranges, and yellows. They are flashy and may attract too much attention. Sometimes, though, this is desired, depending on your field of work.
Warm colors are considered rather “unprofessional”.
When wearing warm colors in an office or business setting, people tend to assume that you’re somewhat naïve and unprofessional. This is due to color psychology.
Colors from the warm side of the spectrum tend to have a more open and cheerful connotation. Conversely, they are also regarded as naïve or childish.
For example, if you work in the banking industry as a clerk or in the back office, these brighter colors will clearly stand out and seem too joyful or childish for such a serious setting.
If you are an artist or work in a creative profession where bold colors are encouraged, these brighter colors may be appropriate. Warmer colors actually boost creativity and contribute to a happy and joyful environment.
A tip would be to wear warm colors during casual parties or gatherings outside of work rather than at work itself. A summer party is a perfect occasion to flash some warm colors.
Warm colors are unprofessional because they're too casual for some environments.
If you work in a serious environment, such as banking or law, these brighter colors will stand out and seem wrong. Even only as small accents in outfits, bright and warm colors are simply too distracting.
This especially goes for tie colors. If you’re looking to be perceived as a professional, then stick to less flashy tie colors.
We seriously suggest avoiding bright colors from the warm side of the color wheel if you work in an office. There are exceptions to this rule, though. If everyone else in the office wears strong colors, then it’s most likely encouraged to do the same.
Colors to Avoid in The Office
When people Google “unprofessional colors”, they usually mean to type: “colors not suitable for the office”. Well, let’s dive more into that, shall we?
If you're looking for a more professional look for the office (or a job interview, for that matter), then it’s less about what colors to wear and more about which ones to avoid.
Here’s a list of “sub-optimal” business clothing colors:
Yellow (too cheerful for business)
Orange (associated with construction workers and day laborers)
Pink (not the best choice for those in male-dominated fields like engineering and finance)
Purple or lavender (too sugary; these shades make people think of fairy tales and unicorns rather than the daily grind)
Bright green or chartreuse (both can clash with most other clothing colors as well as skin tones)
Bold red or magenta (these strong clothing colors are too flashy and attention-grabbing – especially in large amounts)
Ok, let’s say you like one or more of these colors and you can’t refrain from wearing them. Then please just do us this favor:
Only wear them sparingly and by all means, avoid pairing multiple of them.
It’s All in The Mix
The least professional colors you could wear in any job setting aren’t single ones. No, sir.
True problems (when it comes to looking unprofessional) lie with color pairings and combinations.
Imagine jumbled-up color schemes in any work setting. For example, multicolored or tie-dyed clothing pieces. Weird print or funky textures just aren’t suitable for most professional occasions.
Below you’ll see an example of a well-cut suit. For one, the color of the suit is arguably not ideal for the office. Also, the orange accents are most definitely not a good choice either.
This just goes to show that color changes everything. Although cyan and orange go well together (because they’re complimentary colors) and either of them could fit into a professional setting (albeit sparingly), together they somehow don’t cut it.
This color combination simply isn’t ideal for a professional office setting.
We’re just not used to seeing color combinations like this in work environments.
Yes, it truly boils down to that. A certain color or combination might be fine for one profession but very weird looking for another. And what we deem “weird” or “fine” has everything to do with experience and expectation.
Now you know which “unprofessional” colors to avoid. And although we haven’t covered the best options for a professional look quite yet, here’s a quick sneak peek:
It's best to stick with solids or neutrals, but if you're looking for a more casual look there are ways to add some flair.
You can add more spicy details like flashes of bright color, stripes, and patterns without going overboard.
We’ll be putting together a full-length guide to highly professional-looking colors and schemes soon, so stay tuned! You can read up on the best suit colors to wear first.
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Thanks for reading.
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