I read an article about how the color of our clothes reveals a lot about our personality type. It made me consider how dressing can be a form of personal expression and how the clothes we wear send out messages to the world. You can tell a great deal about a person by the colors they wear.
Color plays a major role in our lives by the way it influences our moods and emotions. You wouldn’t think that a color can make you feel secure or make you feel uneasy, but it can. When you choose to use a color or avoid it, that action is telling. Even if you aren’t consciously aware of the symbolic meanings of certain colors, your subconscious is. What one color means to you may have a completely different meaning to me.
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It used to be that black was the color of mourning. You only wore black while you were grieving. Those days are long gone. Black, as image consultant Olesya Schuler described it, is the “ultimate fashion color.”
Luckily, wearing black is no longer just to respect the dead, and it’s perfectly acceptable to wear it at any time. Punk, Goth, and club kids are known to wear a lot of black, and almost every woman has that perfect little black dress that makes her feel glamorous and perfectly outfitted for any occasion.
Black symbolizes extremes — all or nothing . It is a color of strength, power, sophistication, elegance, and authority. As Schuler noted, “Black is classy,” and “elegant.” She added, “Wearing black can make you feel more confident, powerful, and professional.” It doesn’t just have to make you feel that way, either. It can just be a reflection of the fact that that is exactly who you are.
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Blue soothes and cools. When you wear blue, you’re broadcasting creativity, positivity, peace, loyalty, and you’re saying that you’ve decided to live by your own rules and by your own truth.
According to Liam & Co., there’s a reason why police uniforms and traditional business suits and sports coats are often blue. It’s because blue is the color of “confidence, reliability, trust, and honesty.” The retailer also noted, “If blue is a heavy color in your wardrobe, your friends may describe you as kind, sympathetic, shy, and courteous. You may be perceived as having poise and as someone who can be trusted with confidential information.” Because blue wearers think for themselves, they’re smart, have a quick wit, and are often independent.
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When you wear brown, you’re representing all things solid and grounded, such as the color of the earth. Brown is the color that people associate with someone who’s stable, smart, and dependable (like the UPS driver).
Schuler said, “Beige is elegant, classy, and very ‘old money.'” It’s a foundational color for a wardrobe, which also reflects the fact that it is associated with stability and dependability. Brown and beige also tend to evoke feelings of safety and warmth, and a person who prefers wearing this shade often carries those traits.
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One thing we all know is that there are many different variations, shades if you will, of grey. Wearing grey can wash you out and make you seem indifferent, depressed, and apathetic. It can also seem suppressive and give off the impression of a lack of confidence. There’s a reason the classic color of sweatpants is grey!
However, according to fashion magazine Marika, the apathetic indifference of grey can also reflect a certain “flexibility” in the person who loves the color. The outlet noted that people who love to wear grey are “cautious, pragmatic, and reserved, but only until they get into the right company. In general, people who wear gray are often perceived as practical and level-headed, with a preference for tradition and order.”
Schuler described grey as a “sophisticated” color that represents “balance and neutrality.” She argued that it’s versatile because of its variety of shades, which would reflect its wearer’s flexibility.
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If you want to stand out and grab the spotlight, wear red. It’s the color of energy and is the symbol of life. But there’s a duality to red. It’s not just all attention and confidence.
Liam & Co. explained, “Red is often the color of passion. Red can convey power, energy, movement, and excitement. It is also a risky color. On one hand, red can convey confidence, self-assurance, focus, and commitment. On the other hand, red can send the message of aggression, stress, and danger.”
Basically, you’re a confident and passionate person, but you are definitely not a pushover. There’s a temper lurking under that self-assuredness.
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Orange is known as the color that makes new possibilities happen. It’s creative, enthusiastic, and is associated with good times, warmth, and ambition. In a piece for HuffPost, psychologist Carole Kanchier wrote, “Wear orange when you want to have fun, heighten creativity, or heal emotions. Avoid it when you feel restless, dependent, fearful, or want to relax.” She added that the color “represents creativity, confidence, joy, sensuality, and ambition.” And you thought it was just for Halloween.
If you wear orange, you like to be the life of the party and are an overall positive and energizing person. You have the ability to change the mood of others around you, but when you are not feeling like being engaged, you will retreat for some restorative alone time.
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Pink is very much associated with femininity, but when a man is comfortable with both the masculine and the feminine side of his personality, he can really rock a pink shirt or jacket.
Pink is the unconditional love color, and it’s known to soothe aggression. Psychosocial rehabilitation specialist Kendra Cherry pointed out that when it comes to pink, the shade is very important. She said, “A light pink is often viewed as soft, healing, and peaceful, whereas a hot pink might be seen as bold, exciting, and alarming.” The shade you prefer will be more reflective of your personality. That means if you prefer the soft shades, you have a calming and peaceful nature, but bright pink lovers are much more assertive while still holding onto a softness that can only be described as femininity, regardless of gender.
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The late Prince’s nickname of His Royal Purpleness was kind of redundant, as purple is the color of royalty and is a symbol of wealth. Kanchier added, “Purple is associated with prosperity, spirituality, and sophistication. When overused, it communicates ostentatiousness. Wear purple to project wisdom, and trust, and to release destructive emotions.”
If you want to convey that you’re rich, both in possessions and spirituality, then wear purple. Purple shows that you have a rich inner life, are intuitive, artistic, creative, and have great instincts about people.
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There’s no mistaking yellow, as it’s logical, happy, cheerful, and optimistic. It has the power to bring out creativity, but is completely overpowering if too much is used (you don’t want to dress head to toe in yellow or you’ll look like Big Bird).
Yellow encourages intelligence and inspiration and is a good color to wear when you need that added boost to finish a work project or ace those exams. Liam & Co. added, “people who wear yellow often are typically active individuals with a leaning towards creativity.” In a nutshell, yellow lovers are adventurous intellects who aren’t afraid to wear their joy on their sleeves.
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Nature and money are green, and both are very important. Green is a calming color and is associated with generosity, healing, and a rejuvenated state of mind.
People who wear green are charismatic and care deeply about the feelings of others. As retailer Barry Wang noted, however, when it comes to green, shade plays an important role, much like with pink. They wrote, “Lighter greens, like mint and pastel shades, are associated with youthfulness, optimism, and freshness, while darker greens like forest and emerald green can symbolize sophistication, tradition, and wealth. In contrast, neon or bright greens are often linked to energy, vitality, and sometimes rebellion, making them a popular choice for edgy, avant-garde fashion statements.”
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Wearing white signifies cleansing and new beginnings. When you put on a white shirt or skirt, you feel as if you’re starting the day with a clean slate, and you appear to have a fresh and bright outlook. White is the color of balance, harmony, purity, and courage.
As Kanchier explained, “Wear white to feel peaceful, convey a well-balanced, optimistic personality. White is most effective as part of an ensemble.” But she stressed that you need to be careful with white because “Too much can project coldness, and isolation.”
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Christine Schoenwald is a writer, performer, and frequent contributor to YourTango. She’s had articles featured in The Los Angeles Times, Salon, Bustle, Medium, Huffington Post, Business Insider, and Woman’s Day, among many others.
