The Importance of Color Psychology in Fashion

Most of us have heard the saying “I feel blue today.” but have we really realized the depth of emotion in a saying like this one? And how color is involved? Colors and every combination of them hold a very psychological and emotional weight to them. This is known as color psychology which is defined by the London Image Institute as a “popular area of color theory that assigns emotional and psychological connotations between colors and emotions.” (London Image Institute, 2020). 

With that said, colors have a deep influence on our emotions; especially when it comes to fashion and dressing. It has been proved by many that seeing and wearing certain colors can trigger many emotions, whether it be positive or negative emotions. Personally, the colors that I pick when it comes to dressing, affect the way I feel which either enhances or lowers my mood. 

This is also very true in fashion, not only does color play an important part in fashion runways and events, but people tend to shop according to their own taste and even a personal fashion aesthetic. 

This is not just exclusive to me, but many people use colors in a way to present themselves to others and to make a certain statement just by dressing in a specific color or combination of multiple colors. For example, if a certain person wants to be seen as mature or sophisticated, secure, and even honest, a person might opt to pick dressing in black or white, or both. These colors are particularly associated with these emotions in certain cultures, and in the U.S. and most western societies, these colors are worn at important and formal occasions such as job interviews, parties, high-end events, among others. 

These colors can only be seen especially used in weddings and other ceremonies. White is also a representation of innocence and purity, which has been the reason why brides opt to wear white dresses while grooms tend to choose different options in color. However, this is different in other cultures since colors also symbolize many different meanings and trigger different emotions, depending on the culture. 

Since color psychology has always interested me, especially in fashion, I was part of an experiment that consisted of wearing different colors and analyzing whether or not they influenced my mood. On days that I tended to feel more negative emotions, I chose to wear warm and vibrant colors such as yellow, orange, and lime-green. 

On days that I felt happy, I opted for wearing cooler colors such as blue, gray and purple. On days in which I was stressed, I chose colors in the pastel category which tend to give a very calming feeling. The change in my emotions was definitely influenced by the colors I wore. Part of the experiment was also recording the clothing that I had picked on a certain day and focusing on the colors that I had dressed in. 

Most of the time, I subconsciously picked colors that went according to what I have been feeling that day which is quite incredible to me. I am certain that I am not the only case, in fact, colors and color theory plays a very important role in not only fashion but in many other markets as well. As a person with experience in fashion,  graphic design and marketing, I can assure you that color is a crucial part of any project. 

Marketing strategies are also dependent on color and how it is presented to a certain target market. DashBurst stated that “colors can powerfully impact people’s behavior and decision-making. People make subconscious judgments about a person, environment, or product within a few seconds or minutes. Color plays into this initial impression” (DashBurst, 2021). 

This is very accurate because some people are drawn into specific environments and most of the time this has to do because of the colors in that specific area. This is also very true in fashion, not only does color play an important part in fashion runways and events, but people tend to shop according to their own taste and even a personal fashion aesthetic. 

I am personally more drawn into fashion with pastel colors, while some of my friends tend to shop and dress in darker colors. Either way, colors can mean different things for people all around the world, what can seem like a negative or positive color for one person, can convey a different meaning to another. That is the beauty of colors and fashion and the reason why they coexist is that both colors and fashion can mean anything, all that matters is how we interpret and present them.