Oh, dear. Bad news for someone who loves red jackets for networking and presenting; according to researchers:

“Red makes you sexy, dumb, attractive and repellant.”

Well, wait a minute. I could live with attractive, and maybe just a little sexy. And I’m not sure how you can truly be attractive and repellant at the same time. Or is that like being compelled to look at an accident or a horror movie scene even though you don’t want to look?

The Eloquent Woman recognizes that many of us wear a red “power” jacket for public speaking — something that has been my not-so-secret weapon, thus the Red Jacket Diaries. However, she advises against it, especially for appearances on camera. Instead, she suggests a “less vibrant color close to your face” along with a dark jacket.

Fortunately, on-camera appearances aren’t an issue for me. But what about you? If you appear on camera, is a red accent enough of a power boost for you?

Thanks to my IABC/Toronto colleague Louise Armstrong, who shares my appreciation for a good power jacket, for pointing me to The Eloquent Woman. And thanks to another friend, Sue Ridewood, for her creative take on red jackets as a Christmas ornament shown here.