Have you ever put on some red lipstick and instantly felt like the most powerful person in the world? Your day becomes your personal runway and it feels like nothing can go wrong. But how can one color have so much power on your mood?
There’s a psychology behind this feeling that the color red evokes. According to Color Psychology, “red provokes the strongest emotions of any color...red is considered the warmest and most contradictory of the colors. In fact, this fiery hue has more opposing emotional associations than any other color: Red is linked to passion and love as well as power and anger.” When you choose your outfit for the day we often reflect our mood in how we dress. If we’re feeling tired we may choose grey or dark blue tones, when we’re feeling fresh we choose the bright whites of our closet. But what do we feel when we choose the red tones?
Wearing red is a powerful statement. In your closet you may find that you have very few red pieces or maybe your closet is a source of fiery passion and is full of red! Whatever your closet may hold, think about what wearing red means for you. Do you feel it may be too bold for everyday wear and reserve it for date nights only? Or do you prefer to feel bold through red accessories like earrings or lipstick?
Not only can wearing red affect your mood and emotions, but there is evidence that wearing red can increase your chances of winning. In the 2004 Olympics, competitors in four sports were randomly given red or blue outfits and in all of the competitions the competitors wearing red won the most. This correlation can be due to the fact that red is associated with dominance and aggression.
However, red doesn’t always represent these aggressive emotions depending on the context. This year the Miss Universe pageant was won by our Mexican representative, Andrea Meza. She chose a spectacular red dress from the Michoacan designer, Ivis Lenin. Her moment of success was seen by millions of people and, "according to many experts, contributed to her triumph," reports the LA Times.
Red holds a lot of power and it's up to you how you choose to use it. Depending on your plans, red can be a useful tool to boost your mood for the day. Whether it be a statement red piece for a job interview, a hot red dress for a date, a bold red top for an important business meeting or a fun red earrings for a girls night out. Include red in your outfit to attract all that you deserve.
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