The color of our clothing carries a lot of emotions and tells the world about our mood and personality. A study conducted at Clark University by Albert Mehrabian notes that non-verbal communication makes up to 93 percent of all communication. Color is a way we communicate non-verbally through clothing. Some clothing colors can make us feel secure while others make us feel more attractive. Wardrobe color choice is an action that can reveal a lot about your personality.

Here is a guide to what your color clothing choice may be saying about you:

Red:

Attractive & Passionate

What does Clifford the big red dog, Jessica Rabbit and Iron Man have in common? That’s right – red.

Red is an attractive color associated with fire, love, and passion. For example, the use of a red tie, red lipstick, or red cocktail dress can add appeal, making the wearer seem more attractive. This raise in perceived attractiveness is done by the proven ability of the color to raise blood pressure and respiration rates while enhancing human metabolism. Red is meant to make you stand out in a crowd of distractions. Similarly, red clothing indicates extroversion, passion, energy, and a desire to live “on the wild side”.

Orange:

Vibrant & Energetic

Vibrant and energetic, orange is the color of the social butterfly. Those wearing orange hold the ability to make friends easily because they appear more approachable. Orange portrays its wearer as being happy, especially in group settings. The perception of orange is tied to movement and change due to its uses in nature. Think of when leaves from trees turn orange as the seasons pivot into fall.

Yellow:

Energizing & Inspiring

The brightest and most energizing color, yellow is strongly associated with happiness. Yellow is associated with sunshine and summertime, indicating a time to be cheerful. Those who wear yellow are perceived to be both logical and intelligent. Wearing this color can even encourage inspiration. Yellow is a color to wear when you want to boost your mood for the day.

Green:

Creative & Calming

Green, the nature color, is strongly associated with new beginnings and growth. Those who wear green are charismatic and balanced. Wearing green at the beginning of a new project will spark creativity and a balance of ideas. Green is also known for its calming attributes. Those who wear green are often looking to promote wellness and environmentally friendly lifestyles. They are mindful of their reputations. 

Blue:

Responsible & Loyal

Blue indicates freshness, responsibility, and loyalty. Those who wear blue want to portray mystery through their intense appeal and choice in fashion. For example, wearing navy blue to an interview represents the idea of control, while projecting calmness, truth, confidence and security. All perfect attributes to have when looking to secure the job.

Purple:

Charming & Insightful

In ancient times, purple represented royalty (due to the difficult and expensive nature of the dyeing process) Today, purple clothing represents creativity and a love for art and imagination. Wearing purple indicates that one is charming and insightful. Thus, purple is the color to wear for those wanting to look wealthy, yet artistic and insightful.

White:

Honest & Transparent

Wearing white is strongly associated with cleanliness, purity and virtue. One that wears white should feel that they have started their day with a clean slate. This color shows that you are open to new ideas, honesty and transparency. In western culture, bridal dresses are often white. The ideology behind this is that, historically, wearing white symbolized purity. This same ideology explains why angels are too depicted in white.

Black:

Mystery & Powerful

Black represents power, strength, elegance, and authority. It is the perfect color to portray or hide the silhouette of its wearer. Black clothing that is not fit to the body hides its features, while black clothing that is fitting to the body elevates the contours of the body, making its wearer optically slimmer.

Clothing color is the first thing people acknowledge about the wearer. Color choice is an important descriptive factor that says a lot about a person. People use colors to enhance their appeal, their mood, or both. Consider these insights the next time you open your closet. You can use color to intentionally form the perception others may have on you and your wardrobe.