News and trends

Black and White: The New Power Couple?

October 1st, 2009
By CareerBuilder blogger in News and trends
5 Comments

Black and white are classy colors in any situation, but according to new research, British workers are wearing the color combination more than ever to be viewed as leaders at work. At least that’s what was revealed in the 2009 Travelodge discarded clothing catalog, which is the hotel chain’s annual clothing inventory report.

The 2009 data showed that 60 percent of the 14,786 shirts left behind at Travelodge hotels were white. Eighty percent of the 1,005 discarded business suits and 40 percent of the 3,105 forgotten ties were black. Fifty percent of the 69,986 socks left behind by customers were also black.

So what’ s the secret behind dressing in black white?

“Monochrome colors are solid powerful colors. By dressing in black and white an individual can visually display their authority, seriousness of purpose, professionalism and allow their personality to shine through,” says Corrine Sweet, a UK psychologist. “Due to the economic climate, 2009 has been one of the toughest years in decades within the work and business environment. Rivalry amongst workers has never been so fierce, therefore in a bid to stand out amongst co-workers, British workers have opted for ‘power dressing’ by wearing black and white.”

Travelodge went on to survey 5,000 British workers to obtain their views on the trend of monochrome business attire being left behind at its hotels. Findings revealed 7 out of 10 British workers turn to a black suit and a white shirt when they need to “dress to impress” within the work and business environment.

Click here to read the full article.

What do you think? Do black and white stand for power and leadership?