How to Attract Men — Wear Red!

Why the Color Red Makes Women More Desirable

Nov 2, 2008 Gill Hart

The wearing of red makes women more attractive to men according to the first official study to document the link between color and relationships.

Red has long been associated as the color of love, but why? A new study confirms the color red actually makes men more attractive to women.

We are familiar with red hearts adorning Valentine Day cards, red roses for romance and red lingerie and hot red lipstick to signify passion and seduction. Throughout the world and in various cultures, red has been linked to romance and sex.

Research by the University of Rochester

The findings from 5 psychological experiments carried out by Rochester University in the U.S. showed how colors changed men’s responses to women. Tests varied from men being shown images of a moderately attractive woman framed by red to woman wearing a red shirt. These were then compared and contrasted with other colors such as gray, green and blue. The study was detailed on the online edition of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology of October 28, 2008 and is the first to scientifically document the link between color and relationships.

According to "Red on Women Drives Men Wild," October 28, 2008, on livescience.com “In all the experiments, women shown framed by or wearing red were rated significantly more attractive and sexually desirable by men than the exact same women shown with other colors.”

Interestingly, when men were asked where they would take their partner on a date, women wearing red proved more likely to be treated to a more expensive outing. In the Daily Mail's October 29, 2008 article "Dress to Impress, Why the Boys Always Fall for a Lady in Red," author Fiona Macrae reseacrh revealed that men were much more likely to ask out a woman wearing red. And they estimated they would spend almost twice as much on her as one in blue." However, despite the clear effect, the men in the study said they felt colour played little role in their choices. This suggests they were oblivious to the pschological power of red.

However, the wearing of red can instigate other feelings and emotions. Research at the University of Rochester suggests that the effect of the color red can acctually lead to worse performance in competitive situations. Red on women can also construed as powerful (and slightly threatening?) in terms of business power-dressing.

Why Red is Such an Attractive Color

According to the Live Science article, Scientists like Andrew Elliot and Daniela Niesta believe that the effect of red could be a throwback to past societial conditioning. They also attribute it to deeper biological roots because nonhuman male primates, such as chimpanzees are known to be attracted to females displaying red.

In the article “Why Red is Such a Potent Color,” by Live Science’s human nature columnist Meredith F. Small, there are cells in the back of our eyeballs that respond to a wide range of light, (called rods and cones) and that colors can be determined by the cones, (particularly in daylight) whereas rods respond to a narrow range of light. Isaac Newton was the first to appreciate that color comes in the form of electromagnetic waves, he held up a prism and refract white light into a rainbow of colors and realized there was a variation in colors as to what the eye can see. For example, the length of the waves of light determine the colors we perceive – short means purple or blue, medium is green.

The ability to differentiate a range of colors have evolved over millions of years. Over time eyes were able to determine longer wavelengths of color, which means being able to see red.

The Culture of Color

Color for humans is also highly symbolic in many cultures. It is often associated with luck, money and marriage. Indian and Chinese brides wear red, and the Chinese dem red to be very lucky. U.S. athletes also wear red because is in a strong color in the U.S. flag, and red gets them noticed.

How to Wear Red

For many women red is a difficult color to wear, particularly primary red. However, there are so many variations that it is possible to find a hue to suit every skintone. According to American fashion designer Michael Kors, red is a very fashion-friendly color as it “will work with any neutral in your closet.” In her book What Every Woman Should Know About Style (Prion 2003), author Karen Homer says that red is also considered the equivalent of black by the fashion-elite, for those who cannot stand black any longer!

Several of this fall's runway shows included glistening - almost patent - red lips. Striking red lipstick is one of the tried-and -trusted style-boosters, if you get it right. Red lipstick gives the humble little black dress a real lift , and can add sparkle and life to a crisp white shirt.

The copyright of the article How to Attract Men — Wear Red! in Women’s Fashion is owned by Gill Hart. Permission to republish How to Attract Men — Wear Red! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Red Prom Dress