New study reveals the one color that instantly makes you seem more intelligent and attractive
Chances are that you've heard the trendiest new colors this season are lavender and bold yellow (sorry, millennial pink, it seems your days are numbered). But before you start applying your filters to your online shopping searches – listen up – because the colors you wear can impact the way people judge you more than you think.
Of course, the way people think of you shouldn't define what kind of clothes you wear or how you choose to express yourself, but it might come in handy at times. Like, if you've got a hot date coming up, or an important job interview you want to nail. A new study has determined how we might interpret someone based on the colors of the outfit they've chosen in terms of intelligence, attractiveness, arrogance and playfulness.
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The British study commissioned in 2015 by Buy Tshirts Online surveyed 1,000 men and women to determine how people judged different colored clothes. Maybe it's because it was done before millennial pink made its impact, but pink was one of the least compelling colors when it came to taking someone seriously. Those who wore rosy tones were considered fluffy, frivolous, and probably not very smart. Ouch.
The color which came out as most appealing in many aspects might not surprise you, especially since it's such a classic shade. The winning color? Black.
Black ranked much higher than the rest of the rainbow in terms of giving the people who wear it more confidence. 56 percent of respondents said wearing black gave them the most confidence, with 48 per cent of women and 64 per cent of men favoring it. There's something behind #AllBlackEverything after all...
It also topped the intelligence scale, with black seen as a serious and reliable color, rather than an aloof, playful one. Blue, white and green followed in the intelligence signifier ranking. As well as being the top color for confidence and intelligence, black was considered one of the sexiest colors too.
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Red, as you can imagine, topped the sexy color scale – but only when women wear it. This is because red also has connotations of arrogance and aggressiveness. When participants were asked what they would wear to woo a date, 54 per cent of women said they'd wear a red number, whereas only 28 per cent of men would.
Interestingly, this choice is reflected in the preferences of the opposite sex too – 56 per cent of men like seeing women wear red, while 66 per cent of women would prefer men to wear black. It shows that we feel confident in the colors that others find attractive – making us wonder whether we feel most confident when feeling sexy, or whether it's the confidence that makes us sexy?
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Nevertheless, black came out the big winner in sexiness too, because you don't come across as arrogant. Red was considered the most arrogant color, followed by orange and yellow. Innocent white was considered the least arrogant of the colors.
The worst ranking colors for confidence, attractiveness and intelligence overall were brown and orange, with hardly anyone saying they'd wear the earthy tones to an important meeting.
The key thing to take away? Wear black. It's your safest best no matter if you're trying to convince someone of your professional capability or court someone romantically.