40 Office-Appropriate Hair Colours To Show Your Stylist

Whether you’re tweaking your hue or colouring your hair for the first time, changing hair colours can have a massive impact on your mood, because let’s face it, few things feel as good as leaving the salon with a fresh new shade.

A fresh fun hair colour boosts your confidence, and helps create a whole new aesthetic since you might be dressing differently to match the vibe. If the only thing holding you back from making that salon appointment is what HR would say or whether it's suitable for the office, we’ve got you. Scroll through to see 40 hair colours for work that will allow you to express your personality without breaking the office dress code.

Mushroom brown

Muted mauve-mushroom brown hair has been trending since 2018, which comes as no surprise since it’s a low-maintenance style that looks incredibly natural. Check out more ways to wear this colour!

Copper bronde

More striking than brown but definitely more subtle than red, this shade will get you noticed for all the right reasons. Bronde is the perfect mix of blonde and brown. Add copper undertones to it, and you get this perfect copper bronde that gives you the best of all worlds.

Smoky grey ombre with shadow roots

Rock grey hair with a gorgeous and subtle ombre or colourmelt like this one, but keep your roots dark or closer to your natural colour so regrowth looks less noticeable.

Pink/purple highlights

Liven up dark hair by weaving in some coloured highlights, but on a dark base so it’s not too obvious.

Ash violet

Popular in Korea, this hair colour is striking and subtle at the same time. Plus, if you have dark hair, the ash purple tone helps combat brassiness that occurs with bleached hair, helping you maintain the colour for longer.

Classic balayage

Pronounced bah-lee-AHZGE, this style of concentrating colour near the ends and sweeping the colour towards the crown of the head creates a soft, natural look that doesn’t look half bad when it grows out.

Coco lights

Not your mum’s box brown hair colour, chocolate brown is offset with rich golden and creamy tones. In fact, you should ask your colourist to place lighter caramel or cognac tones around your face to make your features pop.

Vintage orange

Copper meets deep, red-brown tones with this colour that is ideal for those who are looking for something that won’t damage their hair too much (this doesn’t require too many bleach sessions). Plus, over time, it washes out to a gorgeous peach blonde so that you can extend the length between your colour appointments.

Peek-a-boo purple

This is probably the hair version of “business in the front, party at the back”. When hair is let down the purple is virtually invisible, but once you have it up in a ponytail or bun, it reveals a gorgeous colour that’s been hidden.

Beige blonde

This sandy shade of blonde has neutral undertones with subtle hints of grey and green making it a softer version of the traditional blonde shades. Since it is not too warm or overly ash-toned, it is suitable for most skin tones.

Blue and black

Black and blue complement each other so well, and in this case, the dark royal blue makes for discreet highlights on a head of black hair when under the office lights. Step into the sun, and the brilliance of the colour will come into light (pun intended).

Ash grey

This is a great way to switch up your hair colour without it looking too striking. It’s also a good way to ease into your own greys if that’s what you’re looking to do. Ask your colourist to tweak the colour to be slightly warmer or cooler depending on your skin tone.

Undercover purple

Like royal blue, darker purples like aubergine and plum are generally quite inconspicuous when paired with black.

Deep copper

How gorgeous is this sangria-tinted copper? It suits cooler undertones best, but the great part about deep copper is that you can tweak it to suit your skin tone. Opt for a ginger-tinted copper if you’ve got warm undertones.

Gunmetal tips

By lightening hair by a few shades and colouring it to a grey, you can give it texture and shine. Pro tip: If your boss is super strict, flip your hair to the side that’s not facing him/her. They might catch on eventually, so you might want to consider peek-a-boo colours instead.

Caramel brown

This may sound like a boring shade, but it looks stunning, especially if you give it the right gloss treatment to ensure your locks look healthy and lustrous. Plus, this colour looks good on all skin tones.

Sunkissed babylights

While babylights may often be shadowed by their sister-name, it doesn’t make it any less gorgeous. Less obvious than highlighting, babylights are micro-fine highlights that give shine and dimension to hair – kinda like the highlights you get when you’re exposed to the sun.

Red streaks

A go-to colour for most people when they first start colouring their hair, red signifies everyone’s first foray into unnaturally coloured hair. This version is stylish and flattering for all ages.

Peek-a-boo platinum

If you’ve always wanted to colour your hair a cool-toned platinum, but hesitated because of what your boss might say, this underlayer is for you. Thanks to this peek-a-boo colour placement, the colour is only seen from certain angles, or when you tie up your hair.

Auburn

Brighter than copper bronde but less conspicuous than vintage orange, this fiery hairdo is not for the faint of heart and requires plenty of maintenance to keep it looking fresh and beautiful. But if you like pushing the boundaries, this Black Widow-esque red will have you in the overlapping territories of “office-appropriate” and “not suitable for the office”. Attempt at your own risk.

Gradient pink

Barbie pink might be too bright for most offices. But if you’ve got a chill office dress code, consider opting for this deeper, gradient pink that has darker undertones at the top and gets lighter at the ends. Darker undertones up top ensure the grown-out roots are less noticeable.

Denim tips

Denim hair is the next big thing after granny hair. The best thing about denim hair is its resemblance to denim jeans — the more they fade, the better they look. It usually starts out as a dark ashy blue, and transitions into a pale blue-grey.

Oil slick hair

Like the colours you see on an oil slick, this hair colour uses deep greens, purples, and gold-brown for a gorgeous hair colour that gives your hair dimension. Step into strong sunlight during lunchtime, and you’ll be treated to envious stares when the colours truly come alive.

Hidden peacock

The same way a peacock’s beauty can only be appreciated when all their feathers are displayed, draw attention to yourself (only when you want to) by revealing purple, blue, and green tones in a half-updo.

Hidden galaxy

Not just reserved for those with shorter hair, medium-length hair would look great with this style as well. For a more inconspicuous look, a one-length straight style would do good in hiding all the coloured parts as opposed to a layered hair cut.

Blue, black and grey

Blue is an extremely flattering colour on Asian skin, and this colour is one of the easiest to maintain. If you are attempting a light ashy-blue, bleaching may be required. But you only need blue shampoo to maintain the colour and keep brassiness away.

Purple Tips

Even if you have short hair, it’s likely you can get away with coloured hair in the office if done properly. This black and purple combination is understated but shines with vivid brilliance once you are out in the sun.

Scarlet Balayage

This look is great for those who hate obvious roots. Balayage technique with red and darker roots are extremely forgiving and easy to maintain when hair is growing out.

Green balayage

The emerald green ends of this hair blend with your natural colour, making for a unique combination that’s often not attempted.

Blue ends

Denim hair was popular in 2016 but it doesn’t mean you can no longer rock this look. When paired with black, looks great on both medium-length and long hair.

Hidden unicorn

Unbeknownst to your colleagues, you’ve actually got some unicorn strands of hair underneath! This look’s more subtle yet fun.

Dark chocolate

Not black, but close; dark chocolate maintains the image of natural hair whilst giving it a little something more. If you’re afraid of experimenting with too much colour, this shade is perfect for you.

Smokey browns and icy platinum

Despite its purple tones, this platinum shade is actually quite tame for work.

Rose Gold

Indulge yourself in one of the bolder colours on this list. Soft, peachy, and not too loud, this colour is safe-for-work if your HR has some tolerance for colour.

Muted Sea Green

Tired of the usual colours? Sea green is an understated shade that is not too offensive for the office environment. The lower down you apply the colour, the better it’ll camouflage with your dark natural hair.

Purple streaks

One of the most flattering colours for Asian skin tone, bright purple complements black hair really well.

Rose gold tips

Instead of going all out on the rose gold hair colour trend, applying the colour on just the tips makes the style more refined and classy. Have it blend into your natural colour or mix things up with a brown that eases into the rose gold pink.

Silver Peek-A-Boo

There have been a few peek-a-boo hair colours on this list, but can you blame us? It’s allows us to have fun hair whilst keeping it professional for corporate. This silver option is simple and blends in with natural hair.

Pink Brown

Love pink but know your HR will not approve of bright shades? Pink brown is perfect for a more natural look infused with femininity.

Brown Ombre

Maybe you’re not one for brighter colours but you still want hair that’s not just your natural colour throughout. A brown ombre is a perfect way to make use of shades of brown that will give depth to your hair without eye-catching hues.