eBusiness Weekly
Tafadzwa Zimoyo (The Boss) Business Closet
Hello, October!!!
Opal is the birthstone of October and sometimes is used alongside the pink tourmaline. No wonder this tenth month is often referred to as the month of glory, ripeness and it is the picture-month as it signifies a change in colour.
October is also the Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a worldwide annual campaign involving thousands of organisations, highlighting the importance of breast awareness, education and research. So in line with that, I am encouraging everyone to do something great by acknowledging the work and standing in support of those working to save lives from breast cancer by wearing pink
Pink is a bright colour. It’s true that because of its brightness it is easily associated with femininity. We all know the saying: “Blue is for boys, pink is for girls”, but prior to the 20th century, boys wore pink as it was a colour associated with war. However, the main worry and issue is how to wear pink at work?
One thing you need to know is aside from picking the right shade, is that wearing pink requires steely self-esteem. A recent career builder survey found that pink and red are the least preferred choice (1 percent or less) for CEOs. The assumption is that these colours are too girly and are not taken as seriously as the corporate world’s favourite colours — the always exciting navy blue and black.
Pink is the colour of power when it comes to fighting a disease that is major killer of women. Know that your clothes help convey power and seriousness, but it mainly has to come from the person behind the clothes. For those gentlemen who are afraid to rock pink but need to support the breast cancer awareness campaign, try experimenting with smaller, subtle pieces that are worn away from the skin first.
“Perhaps a pocket square or a flash of pink sock,” said my friend fashion blogger Lillian Madyara.
What is very interesting though is that a recent study claims to have discovered that men who wear pink shirts are found to be more confident, and get a greater number of compliments from female colleagues than their male colleagues wearing blander clothes.
This month I will have a pink day and hopefully as a fashion critic it won’t raise alarm. An enlightened man will no longer think of pink as something that only comes cut with an A-line hem or replete with buttons that fasten the wrong way around, but it’s still a colour under-represented in most wardrobes.
“The main worry for most guys is that they could look effeminate in pink,” said Cindy Munyavi — fashionista and musician. But no colour is off limits, it’s just the way you style it and the confidence with which you pull it off. Here are some totally acceptable ways to wear pink to the office:
Avoid having too much going on — pink is an eye catching enough colour on its own so you don’t need anything more frilly and filled with froufrou when wearing one, especially to work. Keep your outfit simple when incorporating the colour pink in your office outfit to avoid having too much of the street style sweet chic look and more of the professional business lady vibe.
Wear it with neutrals — another good tip for wearing pink to the office without making your outfit look too casual is to wear it with the majority of the colours in your look as neutral colours. Wearing pink against neutrals and nudes will make the pink in your outfit pop out even more without really looking like you went overboard with it.
Choose muted shades — a bright neon pink jacket or coat is not something I would advise you to wear to work but a dainty little dress in either a light rose hue or a shade of blush would be great for the office. If you really want to wear pink to work, choose a lighter and more muted shade over the brighter and more attention – grabbing ones. This will give you a posher and sophisticated look.
Accessorise with it — sneak in a hint of pink in your look by wearing pink accessories instead of actually incorporating the colour in your main look. Men — from the classic Oxford shirt to summer shorts, there are a number of ways you can incorporate pink.
For example, swap a white formal shirt for a pink shirt under you suit or add some dark rose chino shorts to your holiday wardrobe. You could be even more subtle and go for a pink tie or pocket square. I am sure I have directed the article to the write people and happy new month.
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