Imagine living in a world of black and white. Back when I was a little girl, some of my favorite shows to watch on television were the old black-and-white shows. I was a “Bewitched” and “I Dream of Jeannie” girl. I loved all of those old shows on Nickelodeon. “Dennis the Menace”, “Mr. Ed”, “The Donna Reed Show”, “The Patty Duke Show”. Maybe it was how different the times were from when I was a kid, but those were some of my absolute favorites to watch. All of these shows started being filmed in black and white because that was what was available. When several of those shows ran long enough that they were able to be filmed in color, I was so excited! You could really start to see the personality of the characters come out because you could see how they decorated their house, and what colors they chose to wear. It really enhanced their personality.
The same is true today. Color gives us an insight into so many things, whether we realize it or not.
Color is a power that directly influences the soul.
The above quote by Wassily Kandinsky speaks about the impact of color so well. There have been many psychological studies about color and how it subconsciously impacts us when we wear it. However, it also impacts the people around us. As we think about color’s impact, have you ever walked into an office or an appointment and felt instantly unsettled or irritated, or even on the flip side, calm and relaxed? How much attention do you pay to the colors of those places’ walls and how they are painted or decorated? There is a high likelihood that you are being impacted emotionally by the chosen colors.
Let’s chat a little bit about the colors and what they communicate. Before we do this, however, I would love for you to think about your favorite color. If you aren’t sure, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and really feel your favorite color before you read on.
Now that you have your favorite color inside of your mind, let’s dig into color and its positive and negative psychological impacts.
Red
- Positive: Power, Passion, Courage
- Negative: Anger or Aggression
- Positive: Soothing, Caring, Empathy
- Negative: Needy or Helpless
- Positive: Confidence, Optimism, Happiness
- Negative: Anxiety or Irritability
- Positive: Energetic, Fun, Playfulness
- Negative: Frivolous or Unrefined
- Positive: Supportive, Dependable, Grounded
- Negative: Boring or Lacking Humor
- Positive: Calm, Serenity, Logical
- Negative: Cold or Uncaring
- Positive: Restful, Balance, Harmony
- Negative: Boredom or Stagnation
- Positive: Spiritual Awareness, Contemplation, Powerful
- Negative: Losing Touch with Reality or Too Introspective
- Positive: Quiets the Noise, Allows other colors to shine
- Negative: Draining
- Positive: Peace, Simplicity, Clarity
- Negative: Uncaring or Isolating
- Positive: Authority, Sophistication, Elegance, Protection
- Negative: Unapproachable or Overly Serious
An interesting aspect as you look at the positive and negative sides of color is that in many cases, the positives and negatives are the other side of the same coin. So, what does that mean? If you go TOO far with an individual color, it can have more of a negative impact than a positive. That’s why we love a POP of color.
Now that you know the impact of color, are there any colors you would like to add to your wardrobe? Has it made you rethink what color you may want to wear if you have a really important meeting or presentation? Or how about if you are nervous about getting together with someone; might you want to choose the colors you wear strategically?
I can tell you that for me, sometimes I subconsciously choose a color to wear and after I have done so I realize, “Hey! I chose that color to bring a certain vibe.” Many times when giving a presentation where I need to feel energized and want to bring energy to the audience, I find myself in orange. If I meet certain friends that may need a bit of happiness or we just plan to have a fun time, I wear yellow. Consciously, however, I always know my Power Color is red. If I need to feel confident, I will always don that color!
I would love for you to email me and let me know what YOUR favorite color is. I would also love to hear if you plan to add any new colors to your wardrobe crayon box to evoke certain feelings within yourself or others. Email me at [email protected] !
Stylishly Yours,
