The psychology of colour

Will the girl go to the ball? Yes... despite my lack of a suitable dress. With a theme of Cleopatra and a dress code of gold, white and turquoise I am wondering if they will refuse me entry in purple? It is the colour of royalty - although it does looks a little more grecian than egyptian...

I predict a last minute panic.

Talking of colours, I was consulting with a chap this week who is about to give the speech of his life... the one that in his words ‘will catapult me into orbit, or into an early grave’. We were discussing the right colours to wear and finally settled on the old power combination, black, white and red. I don’t know whether you have noticed, but anyone needing authority goes for this combination - just watch the politicians. Black suit, white shirt, red tie. The psychology of colour is a topic in itself... on the suit front, the paler the grey, the more approachable, the less authority... so a good colour when rallying the troops in a ‘we’re all in this together’ meeting... but don’t try to have the ‘better get your act together’ discussion in this colour, it just doesn’t hold much weight.