Rule #1: Wear dark colors - When the Wall Street Journal surveyed 351 chief executive officers for their preferred suit color, no one was surprised that 53% of the respondents favored blue, dark blue, or navy blue, and 39% opted for gray, charcoal, or dark gray. For both men and women, dark suits spell formality, conservatism, and authority. Dark ties, too, contribute to the image. Men, keep in mind that the tie is probably the single most important denominator of respectability and responsibility for a man in the United States, so don’t shortchange yourself here; make sure the geometric patterns on any of your ties are minuscule and stay away from bowties. Don’t extend this dark-is-beautiful look to shirts. The general rule is that the darker the color of suit and tie, the lighter the color of the shirt (white was the preferred color of 53% of the CEOs surveyed by the Wall Street Journal and blue came in second with 35%).