Have you ever noticed a color or an outfit that makes people react differently towards you?

It’s not just folk wisdom that people judge you based on your appearance. And people, with just a little change of wardrobe and nothing else, can quite easily appear to be a certain type of person and get dramatically different reactions from people.

If you want to play with this, dress one day as a librarian and another as a ghetto superstar. You can even go to the same places and see how dramatically the reaction shifts. Very eye opening.

Sadly, this applies to things like perceived race and gender performances, as well. It’s not even conscious, often.

I should’ve been clearer. Actually some things are a given but color was the real surprise. Most of my clothing for instance is blue or black. I’ve known black makes you invisable unless its a dress, but I was surprise how white seems to soften people.
I’m wondering if it does it for everyone? Was it the color or the style of the blouse?
My husband wears suits all everyday. But when he wears his silver color suit, that is when we notice the biggest difference in people behavior.

When I feel comfortable and am happy with what I am wearing, I evince a nicer and more cheerful demeanor.. When I squeeze myself into a pair of jeans that no longer button at the waist, it shows.

(@Pandora; Invisible.)

Oh, sure. Color ties into that. Color can be indicative of culture, and can help reinforce a stereotypical image. See the difference between a white suit and a silver suit versus a white flowing dress and a silver flowing dress. Colors also have associational emotions. Con artists, politicians, and socially intelligent people all know this (more often intuitively for the latter group) and take advantage of it to create the images in people’s minds they want so they know the script they’re working from going in.

At a previous job, when our boss wore a bright red suit, she was bitchier. Seriously. We called it her “power suit”.

@gailcalled & @lfino True. I didn’t consider that how you feel plays a big role in it. However when I wore the white blouse I didn’t feel any different until people started to smile towards me. Then it was just normal to smile back and my mood certainly got lighter.

For some fucked up reason I get a lot of unwarranted stares when I wear my pink chiffon tutu.Can’t imagine why.

When I wear a Marine Corp cover or camo pants I get a completely different reaction than when I wear skirts and dresses.I like to wear suits when I want to scare people.
Colors do affect people too. Black suit ,red lipstick and some windsheild kicking shoes…RAWWWWRRRRR! Lol!! ;)

@Pandora Interesting question. I think black makes you invisible if everyone is in black, but when I moved to Michigan, and a large part of my wardrobe was black, I kind of stood out. People would ask me why I wore black so much. I think everything is relative, depends where you live, the specific environment you are in. I also found out later that my friends thought I was overdressed a lot, not bad, not like I was in a ballgown when they were in jeans and a t-shirt. I would be in jeans and a black sweater, and I was perceived as more dressed then their sweater and jeans. Although, part of that was the shoes I wore compared to theirs I think.

I’m going to follow this question.

@JLeslie, why did the shoes you wore make a difference? What kind of shoes were they, and how did they compare with what everyone else wore?

@lfino I should specify that I was in college at the time, but it still holds true even when I go back and visit as an adult even 20 years later. I wore shoes more often, when they typically were in sneakers (they use the term tennis shoes). I wore heals more often, even if they were in shoes, Not that I was in 4 inch high strappy sexy things, but they more often wore flats, or very casual shoes. I think I appeared more dressed up.

If I wear warmer colours than my usual black/grey/navy, I think I’m perceived as “prettier”.

@JLeslie, yes, I can see how that would be perceived as being dressier then. I would think that with a sweater, you’d want to wear dressier shoes, but with tennis shoes or sneakers, I’d be more likely to wear a t-shirt with jeans.

See, in some parts of the country people just don’t wear sneakers much, even with a t-shirt. I would rarely see a women in Boca Raton, FL in sneakers unless she was in her exercise outfit. In Michigan it is more likely. Some of it has to do with climate I think, and some of it has to do with what nationalities are in the area. I think Europeans and Latin Americans think of Americans as wearing very casual shoes in general. I can’t speak for all of them, just going by my own experience. I learned to wear heals basically because I was with Latin Americans a lot in high school. European men seem to care more about their shoes. Generalizations of course.

I worked in fashion in so wearing black was very common, like a uniform. I think it made me look more sophisticated, but now sometimes I think black is too harsh on me, because I am not in that environment anymore.

Color seems to define things about our “groups.” Think of tv show The Nanny, the lyrics include She’s the lady in red when everybody else is wearing tan the upper classes are described as being in tan, more polished, subdued people, while she is a little crass and not to be missed.

Wear neon green and for sure no one is going to talk to you.

@smokeweedeveryday LOL, nope but they will talk about you

not sure…am going to try this and clock the results!

I haven’t really noticed to be honest. I thought it was the whole outfit as opposed to the colour. But when I wear red, I feel sexy and bubbly and I think people pick it up or like me in red!

@JLeslie Actually black I find can have several affects. If you wear a black dress you are percieved as sexy, or in morning, depending as to the style. If you wear all black trousers and tee shirts then people either think you are a depressed person or a thug. However if I wear just a black shirt with jeans (not black) then it seems nobody notices me at all. If I dress up those jeans with a different color blouse than the mood seems to change. Again, maybe it is my own mood which affects the outcome. I do tend to wear black when I feel sluggish.

@Pandora If I wear blue jeans, a black t-shirt (I nice one, not faded) and heels, make-up, hair done, I think I am looking pretty good. I am not in a sluggish mood. But, interesting that you might perceive me that way. Although, I admit fashion today tends to have more movement, shirts with ruffles or darts and seems, seem to be more alive right now. The plain t-shirt kind of sticks me back in the 80’s-90’s I guess, unless you live in a city like NY or Chicago maybe.

I wear all black all of the time, maybe with a small hint of white or color. Black pants, black sweater that has sewn in white faux woven shirt collar and sleeve, is something I would wear (although I admit I wear it less than I did years ago when I was working in fashion as I stated above). My husband looks fantastic in his black jeans (they have some fade), black sweater that has a straight bottom, v-neck, with just a line of white at the v. Think DKNY or Calvin Klein.

Some of friends in MI, when I was in college, once asked me if I wear a lot of black because I am Jewish or because I am from NY. LOL. I actually grew up mostly outside of DC, but that is beside the point, I guess they see a lot of NY, Jewish actors, or people in fashion business wearing black? Not sure why they thought that?

I also wear a lot of brown. People compliment when I wear medium blue.

I notice more focused attention when I wear my red or black dress shirts. I get a lot less arguments when wearing the red shirts at work and the black seems to quiet them down a bunch too.

this really falls into the field of sociology.

not to mention the subconscious. for one, if you dress in something you feel more attractive in, people will pick it up, often without realizing. a man may wear his favorite tie one day and get a lot of attention, and people (as well as the man) may not even realize why, or that the tie had anything to do with it. you may feel more attractive and/or comfortable in a white blouse, so people will respond to that appropriately.

also, it can be based on the subculture you’re around. a rich neighborhood versus a poor one, a desk job versus a fashion designer. people judge each other based on cleanliness and openness as well—white is a very clean, open color. black is much less so, and that’s really, again, part of the subconscious and relating colors to things. black is often seen as a ‘doom’ sort of color.

vibrant and neon colors are loud, making the person appear so, while pastel and nuetral tones are usually the opposite, making people appear less noticeable.

@redrin I would agree with your less statement especially. I think the hue of a color has a lot to do with it. Black, white, primary blue, red, eggplant, vibrant colors carry more punch, while muted colors call less attention. Light blue or light green, is very different than the same colors in darker tones.

I get complimented in green sweaters or shirts, they make my eyes appear more green. I once had a paisley uniform in navy mostly that i was always complimented on and now a friend of my daughter is working in it and finds the same.

My last post should say I would agree with your last statement. I am going to log off for the day, I have made all sorts of mistakes. Too much on my mind. I was using fluther to distract me, but I am too distracted. My apologies to the collective.

I dress pretty colorfully most of the time and notice I receive a lot of complements for my interesting color choices, I think most people are naturally attracted to color, like certain birds & animals are to shiny objects. Of course, most women like shiny objects too. lol

My pet goose is agressive towards the color red.
He has attacked friends with red shoes before, quite violently I might add. lolololol

I have to say as a side issue I’m pretty sure that the size (weight) of you is more of an issue as to how people treat you – unfortunately!

If I wear pink, service people (particularly males) treat me with less respect. I suppose it’s because I look much younger than I am, and wearing a blouse in a feminine color accentuates that quality. So then they assume that I am a kid or your stereotypical, ditzy teenager (if only they knew how wrong they were. Haha).

Of course what we wear make all the difference in the world. If I go out in my usual clothes, I might as well be invisible, t-shirt and slacks, with loafers or deck shoes. When I want to make an impression, I have a beautiful maroon suit that complements my hair and skin color, and really makes a hit.

@lynneblundell I agree that size and even age has a lot to do with it but whether you are old or young, skinny or fat, there is still some subconcious association with colors that people have. In reading peoples comments I’ve realized that your mood itself can be affected by the color you wear or the opposite can be true as well.
Another interesting point was how even fabric and style choice can have a different affect on the color. Take for instant a black fitted cotton blouse vs a black fitted silky blouse. Although both are black and both can make you look slimmer, only one will be noticed more and probably illicet a more favorable response from people.

@lonelydragon Ah, another aspect of color. True it can also be associated with youth and either make someone appear younger or older. Ah, color is a tricky thing. How on earth do we get dress in the morning. LOL

@lonelydragon Interesting point. I almost never wear pink, I only have one outfit, and pink is part of the pattern, someone actually talked me into buying it, its not really my style in general, it is very Lilly Pulitzer looking. I generally don’t like pink on adults. Hmmm?? It is the worst on women who have kid of boxy turned up noses, like the actress Caroline Rhea, she is a little heavy and wears a lot of pink, and every time she is on TV and wears the pink, my husband says she looks like Miss Piggy, awful I know. But, that is not what I am typically thinking of, some people can pull it off if they have sort of a kitschy 50’s look, or I guess in preppy fashion it is popular.

If I see someone in pink I would probably presume I don’t have much in common with them, huh, interesting. But, would be open to getting to know them and be proven wrong.

But, the color of someone’s clothing is not all of it, as someone mentioned, style of clothing, weight, confidence, hair, so many things count.

@JLeslie I actually like pink but it does depend on who’s wearing it. Some people don’t have the complexion for it. However I find redheads can wear it quite well. It does depend also on the hue of the color. Bright pinks look horrible on everyone except for little girls and bathing suits or beach gear. I don’t know why, but it just does. LOL
I like a light pink dress shirt on a man so long as he has it well matched with what he is wearing. I think it gives men a fresh look.
Some people however look pasty in pink. I think that is the real problem. As we age we don’t quite have the natural rosy cheeks of youth. :(

@Pandora I agree, red headed women can many times pull off pink, good point. It does depend a lot on the hue, like most colors. Very pale pink, that is almost beige, is like a neutral to me. I have to disagree with you about men in pink, I have never taken to that.

I think pink is just not a color I am drawn to, not necessarily to be over-analyzed (not saying you are over-analyzing).

I am curious, this is from out of nowhere and really mean absolutely nothing, are you attracted to blond men? When I think of a man in pink, I think blond. My “type” is dark hair.

@Pandora, I like when men wear light pink dress shirts too. Some still have the idea that it’s too girly, but I think it’s a good look.

@JLeslie Nope, blonds are not my type. The darker the hair the better. And if he has wavy thick hair even better. Like it short though.

Does it really happen?
I mean can colors have a effect on other behavior toward you. I mean as you saying about white color, if it is true then I must try…but i do not think colors work so effectively.

@dasiagrayson I think the way we feel while wearing a certain color can also effect the outcome.