Color & emotion
Written by Katie Chandler
Have you ever worn a certain shirt and just putting it on changed your mood? Or walked into a meeting and noticed that everyone listened to you more than usual? Some of that may have been because of the color that you were wearing.
Research dating back to the 1890s has shown that people attribute different qualities and characteristics to different colors. Although everyone has different perceptions of colors, a study done in 1935 found many similarities between participants when they were asking to describe how the colors made them feel.
Warm colors, such as reds and yellows, correspond with happiness and optimism. On the other hand, cooler colors such as blues and greens, are associated with darker emotions like sadness and calmness.
Like many things, you cannot apply a blanket statement to the colors and assume everyone, everywhere, will react the same. The studies mentioned of color connection are primarily connected to American and European perceptions of the world.
Blue - calm / truth / wisdom
Red - passion / aggression / intense
Yellow - happiness / optimism / youth
Green - healing / success / hope
Black - power / mystery / professional
Purple - royalty / spirituality / luxury
Brown - stability / natural / reliability
Orange - energy / fun / warmth
White - purity / cleanliness / innocence
Grey - neutral / practical / passive
An experiment conducted by Frank and Gilovich had participants complete tasks twice, once in a white uniform and again in a black one. Besides the color, the uniforms were identical, however, when participants wore the black clothes they acted more aggressive and negative. This study is important because it goes to show just how powerful a simple color switch in an outfit can be and how different it can make one feel.
Using those perceptions, we can break down Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s, (AOC’s), outfit to see the message of success and hope in the green suit. The congress woman wore the green suit during a photoshoot for an interview about legislation she is trying to pass. In this case, the legislation was the Green New Deal which gives the green suit even more symbolism with the direct connotation. This could be a quiet, muted styling but paired with her iconic bold red lipstick, the intensity rises and adds to the power of the look.
In Margot Robbie’s yellow look, the bold confidence is similar to AOC, but the yellow evokes a youthful glow. While Robbie is also going to an interview, the yellow calms down the intensity without losing the sophisticated aura.
Finally, you can see in Kristen Bell's outfit the bright orange creates a fun, high energy, look. The suit is rich and attention-grabbing but the orange creates a casual tone. Unlike AOC, Bell is not having a call to action or trying to make something happen, and layering too many aggressive colors would make a walk in the city too serious.
All three looks are stunning but the different use of colors allows them to cater more to the event and situation while still adding personality. Using the same look for three different people is not only boring but also ineffective. Although clothing began as a necessity, it has evolved into a form of self-expression. While color may seem simple, the same outfit can convey drastically different tones depending on the color choice. We can’t control what others think but we can build on their preconceived notions.
