Seeing Red: Does Wearing Red Make You Sexy?

It is well known that people stereotype others based on their skin color, but did you know that people also stereotype colors themselves? The best example of this is the long-held association that black is bad and white is good. Just watch an old Western movie and you can immediately tell who the good guys and bad guys are by the color of their cowboy hats. This example shows that colors contribute more than just aesthetics. Colors also carry specific meanings, such as good or bad, that likely have important influences on psychological functioning.

Recently, Andrew Elliot and Daniela Niesta extended this idea of color stereotypes to the study of sexual attraction (Elliot & Niesta, 2008). Specifically, they were interested if certain colors were more likely to be associated with sex appeal, and if so, would wearing them make people more attractive to the opposite sex.

So when you think about sexiness, what color first comes to mind?

If you are like most Americans, you thought of the color red. Red means different things to different cultures-in Chinese culture it represents good luck and prosperity, which is why people often paint their front doors red-but in American culture, red often means sex. If you think about it, most of the images that represent passionate love are red: Red roses, red lipstick, red lingerie, red heart boxes of candy on Valentine's, even the "red light district."

If red is typically associated with sex, then does wearing red make a woman sexier? If you take a look at our movies, the answer would seem to be an unequivocal yes. Remember the scene from the first Matrix movie, where Neo is distracted during a simulation by a beautiful woman in the red dress? Or how about the scene in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts, dressed in a sexy red dress, is given a ruby and diamond necklace? Or who can forget the scene from American Beauty where red Rose petals rain down on a naked Mena Suvari. Clearly Hollywood thinks red makes women sexy, but does the empirical research support this assumption?
So men find women who wear red more attractive, but maybe this result is because we have a stereotype about women who choose to wear red. Perhaps these men assumed that women who wear read are more promiscuous, and that is why they were more interested in dating her. To address this possibility, these researchers conducted another study. This time, the woman in the photo wore the same outfit, but stood in front of a red, white, gray or green background. The results showed that men were significantly more attracted to the women when she was against a red background.

Interestingly, when these men were asked if the color of her shirt or background had an influence on their attraction, none reported that it did. This indicates that color influences our judgments in an automatic and primarily nonconscious manner.

These studies provided empirical evidence that the "lady in red" is a sexually appealing image for men. But what about what women like? Are women just as intrigued by a "gentlemen in red?" Unlike the image of a woman in red, there are few references in pop culture of a man dressed in red. This anecdotal evidence suggests that when men wear red, it may not bring to mind the idea of sex in the way that it does when worn by women.

But red is a versatile color. It doesn't just represent sex and lust; it also is used to represent power and prestige. History seems to support this association between red and power: In medieval Europe, red was worn by kings, cardinals, and nobility. In classic Rome, the most powerful men were called the coccinati, meaning the "ones who wear red." And in the late 12th century, the Christian church adopted the color red as a symbol of authority and assumed the emblem of a red cross against a white background.

A quick look around will tell you that this association between red and power seems to have continued into the present day: The "red carpet" is only rolled out during special events (e.g., Oscars), and only the most prestigious individuals are allowed to walk on it. We use the term "red letter day" to indicate a day of special significance. The "power tie" worn by modern businessmen is traditionally red in color. And the stereotypic image of a successful, powerful man is one who drives a red sports car.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com