These Colors Make You Less Attractive, Say Psychologists

Believe it or not, there are some colors you’re wearing that can actually lower your attractiveness. Therefore, you’d be wise to avoid them. Learn about the colors that secretly make your less desirable. (As well as the two colors that can enhance your appeal.)

Yellow

 

Synonymous with the sun, Big Bird, and taxis, yellow is a color that catches the eye quickly. However, it isn’t going to do your dating life any favors. A study found that both men and women ranked yellow as among the least attractive colors to see a potential mate wearing. “In summary, our results have shown that clothing color affects perceived attractiveness of males as well as females,” the study concludes.

(A certain shade of) Brown

 

Phrases like “that’s the worst outfit I’ve ever seen” or “I just had the worst day ever” are thrown around a lot these days. But most of the time that’s just an exaggeration. Well, turns out there really is a “worst color ever,” and you don’t want to be caught wearing this shade on a blind date.

Technically called “Pantone 448 C,” the color can be described as a “drab, dark brown,” as Time puts it. It’s also described as an “olive brown,” and is the current title holder of the “the ugliest color in the world.” In fact, this shade of brown is visually repulsive.  What’s more, it’s even been chosen as the main color for tobacco packaging in Australia to discourage the habit. 

Gray

Every color invokes a certain emotion within us, and in many cases, it happens on a subconscious level. Gray isn’t a particularly exciting color, and is associated with bad weather, depression, and negativity. Also, a study that investigated which emotions people tend to associate with certain colors found gray to be connected with sadness. So, going all gray may not be the best idea the next time you want to dress to impress.

Context is key when choosing colors

Colored clothing of all colors of the rainbow / spectrum hanging in the wardrobe.

Life is full of exceptions, and certain occasions call for different colors. “The impression that the color of clothing gives is also subject to the particular occasion or scenario. Bright, flirty colors such as red and turquoise are attractive choices to wear on dates and parties. However, they’re not the best options for a job interview.  Whereas in which cool, deep colors such as navy, grey, or black work best.

This notion is supported by research as well. A series of experiments was conducted to see if men would prefer their dates wear red over other colors. One notable finding did appear, the observation that women tend to like wearing blue on dates.  Chiefly, the study authors ended up concluding “color preferences for each individual are inherently unique.”

However, you can’t go wrong with black

Many believe red is the best color to wear to attract others. Red is definitely associated with love and warmth, but black may have it beat when it comes to universal appeal.

“Red is traditionally seen as the color of love, but more recently research has shown that both black and red are perceived as equally attractive.  However, the two colors may simply increase attractiveness in different ways.

“While red may increase perceived attractiveness through evolutionary mechanisms, dates appear to rely more heavily on black in order to attract a potential mate. Basically, this suggests that cultural and societal influences may play a much larger role in the way people dress than the use of evolutionary signals. 

Article by John Anderer for ETNT

Photo’s © Provided by Eat This, Not That! 

So good readers, what do YOU think?

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