There's lots of research on color theory, but here's the bottom line: dark colors are more intimidating than light colors, and black's the most intimidating of all. Perhaps its the association with judges and the clergy, or that “bad guys” always wear black in the movies.
Wear strong dark light contrast in firm fabrics. Have collars and avoid pliable fabrics. Wear solids or geometrical patterns instead of florals or cutesy looking clothes. Straight structured lines in collars will make you look authoritative and credible.
To appear more approachable, try blue, and to a lesser extent, white. Avoid red in your wardrobe. Generally, blue was the most approachable color. It makes you appear trustworthy and reliable.
In short, try blues, greens and warm earth tones such as light yellow and beige. Avoid red which can make you look aggressive.
Wearing brighter, bolder colors makes us feel more extroverted, alive, and engaged with the world. The science behind the relationship between color and mood is extensive. It is true that perceptions of colors and their meaning are somewhat subjective. Cultural factors must be considered as well.
Power colors are rich, dark tones of black, blue, green, red, and brown*. Black and navy are the best power colors for business because they have an air of authority. Light colors can be powerful when they are used in monochromatic outfits - all garments in the same color or varying shades of the same hue .
The color red attracts attention in an emotional context.
#1 Color Psychology and Attraction
Either way, the color red gets your attention. A study shows that men or women are attracted to each other by the color red, but for different reasons.
Soft white is universally flattering for everyone, although some autumn types may prefer a deeper ivory or cream. It is useful in spring and summer wardrobes as a light and airy neutral, and goes with all colors and neutrals. Stone gray is a lovely universal light neutral. It's soft light gray that leans towards blue.
Studies have shown that men and women do naturally gravitate toward different color choices, with men preferring blue, red and green, while women tend to favor purple, yellow and red. Here are the top nine colors men like to see on women.
Red and orange seem to be the clear winner when it comes to eye-catching colors. These colors tend to stand out and are therefore used on many warning signs or safety equipment. Yellow is another color that comes in a close second to red and orange in popularity.
Wear muted or pale colors if you want to be noticed less. Bright, bold colors, especially purple, may make you seem more creative. Your favorite or go-to colors might not match your undertones, and that's okay! Comfort and confidence is often more important than precise color-matching.
Making yourself seem as tall and confident as possible will make you seem more intimidating, so be sure to practice good posture. You can even lean forward a bit when communicating with others. Fill the space. Whenever you are sitting, standing, or walking, try and take up as much space as possible.
People described as intimidating are often overly domineering and cause others to feel threatened, overwhelmed, or even afraid. Being confident, assured, and commanding isn't a bad thing. It can help people take you seriously in the workplace, social situations, and in interpersonal relationships.
Studies reveal that red is the most attractive colour to both men and women but, curiously, the two genders are attracted to the same colour for different reasons. Women are attracted to men wearing red because, according to one study, it sends signals of status and dominance.
Red is more effective for impulse purchases, so it's a common buy button choice on ecommerce websites. But it's more effective for B2B software vendors too. When HubSpot A/B tested CTA button color for Performable, red out-converted green by 21%. Red seems to perform best across the board.
In fashion, the color white is often used to evoke a sense of purity, innocence, freshness, or cleanliness.
Yellow symbolizes happiness and warmth in almost all cultures. It's the color that grabs users' attention more than any other color. McDonald's and IKEA both use yellow in their branding to give off the feeling of friendliness and positivity.
Red. This is the color of aggression and passion—great for a first date, not so great for the office. It also increases metabolism and raises blood pressure, which is why it's used for stop signs and fire engines. Red can be seen as a bit hostile in the work environment, so think twice before wearing it often.
Yellow – When it comes to choosing a color that boosts confidence, yellow is unbeatable. But even though yellow is known as the color of optimism and confidence, a strong shade can be annoying and disturbing when used in large amounts.
The color red is often used to send messages of confidence to the public. In color psychology, red elicits the greatest feelings of any color.
However, the color that shows up most frequently on color word association tests as the sexiest shade is a vibrant Lipstick Red. It's a sexual signal that many animals and birds use to attract the opposite sex and, interestingly, humans do as well. They flush and blush, turning red with embarrassment or sexual energy.
Yellow is notoriously difficult to wear and often avoided, even by menswear's most daring. Like orange and purple, yellow is a colour that needs to be used sparingly. With this in mind, always look to control the use of the hue with surrounding pieces in white, blue, grey, beige and charcoal.