Institutions select deep blue as their choice for color of the year

And in the business-suit section, classic blue is the first choice.

Hu Zhen, 31, founder of Western-suit brand Mr Dandy, says that this shade of blue is the most popular color when his customers purchase customized Western suits.

His brand opened four stores in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Wuhan. Its customers are mostly young people, aged 25 to 35, many of whom work in the financial sector or are entrepreneurs who just started their own business.

Hu claims that 40 percent of his customers would go with blue when they order Western suits. "The classic blue is a friendly color, and it can never embarrass you," he says.

Classic blue's degree of popularity is widespread, says Qiao Jing, a Beijing-based managing director of Suits Duty, a brand from the United Kingdom which just entered China last year. "Almost 95 percent of our customers that I have met prefer the classic blue," she says.

She also notices that people need a "safe" color to look professional, instead of displaying their glaring personality in the office.

Qiao claims that classic blue is not an aggressive or outstanding color. In business situations, people don't want to show too much personality, or to steal the limelight from their bosses, so looking calm and reliable is what they want.

She also mentions that the Western suits are gradually making their presence felt in China, as she noticed that people now wear suits more outside the office to cultivate a cool, sophisticated look, and that women love to match it with casual-styled skirts.