What Message Do You Send by the Colors You Wear?

We all come across color on a daily basis without paying much attention to the subtle messages we send, receive and interpret based on the colors we wear.

Here's a way to communicating with color, based on symbolism in contemporary Western societies:

The Color White
White is the sum of all other colors in the spectrum, reflects light and is considered a summer color. Wearing white keeps you cool and contrasts bright colors of spring and summer nicely. Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. Doctors and nurses traditionally wear white to imply sterility.
White can expose you to fashion faux pas, however, since lightweight fabrics in this color easily reveal visible panty lines and/or colors and patterns of underwear. Wear a thong, Spanx or flesh-toned undergarments to avoid arming standers-by with x-ray vision.
White clothes show dirt easily and are therefore much more difficult to keep clean than other colors. The no-white after Labor Day rule is a bit outdated, but getting it right requires a bit of an expert eye.

The Color Black
Black absorbs light and is hands-down the most stylish and timeless color in the world of fashion. This legendary status may be in part due to the fact that black makes people look thinner. Dramatic black is often worn by creative types, and in our commercial society black is the color of authority and power. No wonder the little black dress is the perfect number!

The Color Red
Red is the color of passion and love, and the most emotionally intense color. Red also produces a biological response, getting people all hot and bothered by quickening the pulse and increasing the breathing rate.
While red is definitely regarded as a sexy color that draws attention, red also makes the wearer look heavier and is an appetite stimulant – perhaps this explains common weight gain during the holiday season. Red can also appear confrontational – think of matadors – so avoid red when carrying out negotiations, as it may work against you.

The Color Pink
Pink is a very gentle and calming color that stimulates feelings of innocent romance, in contrast to the lusty emotions linked with red. Pale pink draws energy and relaxes making its wearers more approachable; this makes pale pink a wonderful color to wear on a date!

The Color Purple
Purple is a color rarely found in nature – a fact that instantly draws attention to anyone wearing it and sometimes makes it appear artificial. Purple has traditionally represented luxury, royalty, wealth and sophistication; purple is a color of power also has a feminine and romantic appeal, especially lighter shades.

The Color Blue
Blue is one of the most popular colors. After all, it is found so many places on our planet: from the sky to the ocean, to baby blue eyes, to the forever-fashionable blue jean. Blue usually produces the opposite emotional response of the color red; blue stimulates a chemical reaction in the body, producing feelings of peace and tranquility, so blue is the perfect shade for yoga apparel.
Fashion consultants advise wearing blue to job interviews because it has been shown to symbolize loyalty.

The Color Green
A calming and refreshing color, green represents nature. Green is easy on the eye, and studies suggest that it may even improve vision!
The color of money, dark green is masculine, and suggests wealth. Related to this message of prosperity, medieval brides wore green to symbolize fertility and fruitfulness.

The Color Yellow
The most difficult color for the eye to process, yellow can be overpowering – perhaps this is why people tend to lose their tempers and babies cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow is a cheery color, though, and does have its positive attributes: over and above attracting attention, yellow enhances concentration, which would explain its use for post-its and legal pads. It is also believed that yellow may speed up your metabolism!

The Color Orange
Wearing orange is a fantastic way to command attention. A combination of passionate red and happy yellow, orange shares moderated attributes of both colors. Like yellow, orange is intellectually stimulating, but also signifies warmth, energy, change, and health. Like red, orange is very stimulating, but orange (and especially peachy orange) is less aggressive and more soothing.

The Color Brown
Brown is an earthy color that is abundant in nature, which makes it perfect for safari styles. Shades of brown symbolize reliability and structure, so it's an ideal shade to wear in the office.