Want a promotion or raise? Wear colorful clothes

Most office workers stick to a safe rotation of black suits and gray sweaters, but millennials say a dull wardrobe is ruining your chances for a promotion.

In a recent study, 20 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds insist that wearing colorful clothes helps secure a pay raise or get a better job.

The reasons seem to be twofold — wearing color makes us feel better, and it gives others the impression that we are confident and creative.

“We are starting to see a huge surge in people using fashion, even in the workplace, to make a real statement about who they are,” said Rebecca Alford, a marketing manager. “The office no longer needs to be a place filled with stuffy, dull suits and ties, as wearing a bland power suit doesn’t say anything about who you are, or make you stand out from the crowd.”

According to the research, wearing a splash of color makes a quarter of us happier. It also helps one in five millennials feel more energetic and 14 percent of them more creative.

Daring to dress in brighter colors also has a positive effect on how colleagues perceive you in the office.

Dale Anderson, a retired clinical assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, says there is a connection between bright colors and a happy outlook and a healthy body.

Red and yellow are his favorites.

“A splash will energize us,” he said.

Multicolored clothing and patterns will do the trick, too.