The psychology of wearing colours

Colours! The world is filled with so many colours in it. Colour is so important to life and if we could see only the world in black and white, we would never appreciate the beauty of nature. No wonder it is said to be “smiles of nature”.

Colour is a powerful psychological tool, and it can be used to send both positive and negative message. Check out how colours affect your moods, feelings and behaviours.

• BLACK:

Black is a colour that is taken seriously. It is perceived to carry prestige, authority, power  and sophistication. By wearing black clothes, one goes with a powerful and sophisticated vibe especially in a professional setting. It can also be perceived to connote aggression and sadness. People who wear black can be seen as ambitious but also sensitive.

If you hold a high position within an organization and you want to portray authority, wear black. For job interviews, meetings with prospective clients and customers, wear warmer colours.

• WHITE:

White is perceived to symbolise innocence, cleanliness, efficiency, humility and perfection. When you want to play it safe, or you want to look trustworthy and honest, wear white.

• BLUE:

Blue is a colour that has calming effects. It induces relaxation. It is associated with stability, harmony, peace and calm. It can also connote coldness and lack of emotion. If you are a man, blue is the colour you should wear on a date because of its calming effects. It can help relax both you and your date’s nerves. It is effective when attempting to build trust and appear professional and credible.

• RED:

Red is a colour that reflects energy, power, strength, confidence, focus, independence, passion and success. It can also send messages of threat, stress and danger. Red is an eye catching colour and it is very effective in attracting attention. When you need a confidence boost or you want to walk into a meeting and mean business while turning heads, wear red. I wear red on days when I want to feel powerful, confident and attractive. If you are a woman, red is the colour you should wear on a date, if you want to get your date’s heart racing. You should also wear Red, on occasions when you want to stand out, want to convey passion, when trying to persuade and influence others, when closing a deal, when negotiating deals, when speaking in public and during networking events. It is not advisable to wear red to job interviews as it could send signals of arrogance and rebellion.

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• YELLOW:

Yellow is a colour that evokes feelings of happiness, positivity and optimism. It is a colour that brings smiles for a short term. In more serious work environments, it is inappropriate to wear because it sends immature and fun messages. Yellow can be worn to causal work functions but should be avoided in job interviews, clients meetings, etc. Most people who wear yellow tend to be optimists.

• PURPLE:

Purple is a royal colour. It signifies royalty, luxury, wealth and authority. It is a combination of two powerful colours; red and blue. It can be worn to send a message of power and control.

• PINK:

Pink is a colour that reflects femininity, playfulness, love and warmth. Light pink is an effective and powerful colour to wear in business and corporate settings. A man who wears light pink is seen as being bold, confident and in control. Wear pink when speaking in public, during presentation and when dealing with females. Pink also denotes innocence and kindness.

• GREEN:

Green is known as a relaxing colour and it is connected with nature, money, growth, fertility, health, success, hope and generosity. It also reflects negative emotion such as envy. Wear dark green when you are selling, influencing or negotiating, attending job interviews or discussing a promotion. Light green is useful in corporate settings when dealing with conflict management because it sends more calm and relaxing signals.

• ORANGE:

Orange reflects creativity, adventure, enthusiasm and balance. It is the colour to wear for a work out. Research has shown that it increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an energizing effect and stimulates brain activity. An orange tie or pocket square can be effective when engaged in public speaking. It can also be worn in creative and non-corporate industries but it is not a good choice for boardroom, job interviews etc.

TolulopeAdeyewa writes from Benin city. She is a fashion psychologist and aims at projecting fashion ideas to enlighten the public about all the atmosphere all forms of dressing can bring.