Color and Its Influence

Color and its influence

For centuries, scientists, artists and scholars have theorized about the influence of color on the human mind and the world around us. As the modern era emerged, scientists have been able to prove some of the claims made, while others remain either unproven, or debunked.
For example, it is a known fact that newborn babies with jaundice can be treated with blue light to eliminate the yellowing. It is also a proven fact that people in rooms with a significant amount of greenery have a higher tolerance for pain and rest better when ill. Studies have shown that exposure to red causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. It has also been proven that printed material using black text on a yellow background is more clearly legible and is more readily memorable than any other color combination.
There are other color benefits that have been proven, and just as many purported benefits that are merely conjecture or based on purely anecdotal evidence. Many of the latter are a matter of traditional beliefs about a specific color and may appear true simply because the viewer believes it to be so.
There are also cultural attitudes regarding color. In western cultures black is the traditional color of mourning, while in Asian cultures the color of mourning is white. Western cultures view white as symbolizing purity and hope and is the color traditionally worn by brides, while in eastern cultures red is worn by wedding celebrants because it symbolizes joy and luck. Many eastern cultures would view white as an inappropriate color for a bridal celebration.

Color and Clothing: Affecting Ourselves
Many theories exist regarding the use of color in our attire to affect our moods and attitudes. While there are some specific benefits to different colors, some of the claims attributed to certain colors are not proven scientifically. The following color effects include claims that are scientifically proven as well as those that are merely widely believed:
Red has a stimulating action on the heart and circulatory system. It helps you feel strong and energetic and is associated with vitality and ambition.
Pink is a mixture of red and white, and has a gentler action than red. It is emotionally soothing and calming. It lessens feelings of irritation and aggression. It lessens feelings of loneliness and discouragement and helps us feel less burdened and more nurturing.
Orange strengthens digestion and the immune system. It is a happy color, easing emotions and boosting self -esteem. It creates enthusiasm for life. Orange mixed with white creates tones of apricot and peach which are good for emotional exhaustion.
Yellow strengthens the nervous system. It makes you more clear-headed and alert. It is a happy and uplifting color, allowing clear-thinking for decision making. Yellow will help with an optimistic attitude!
Green helps to regulate circulation. It is the color of the heart, both physically and emotionally. It helps open the heart so we may be more empathetic to those around us. It is often a color we are drawn to when we are under emotional stress, because it promotes relaxation and calmness and soothes the emotions.
Blue light has been shown to lower blood pressure, is anti-inflammatory, and has pain-relieving properties. Blue is very calming and cooling and is associated with a higher part of the brain. It promotes mental control, clear thinking and inspires creative thinking. Very dark blues help us connect to our intuitive and feminine side.
Purples and violets are also associated with a higher part of the brain, encouraging intuition and feelings of being more connected psychically. It is often worn for psychic protection. Purples and violets are connected with many of your higher senses i.e., sensitivity, spirituality, compassion and higher ideals. Like blue, these colors stimulate creativity and inspiration. Purples and violets have a purifying, antiseptic effect, and are physically cooling.
White is the color of pureness, protection and peace. It has a cleansing effect on the emotions and the spirit. It can create space to think, but too much white is too cooling and isolating.
Black is associated with the feminine nature of things, both comforting and protecting. It gives an air of mystery to the wearer. Over-wearing of black can be too reserved and inhibiting. Mix with other colors! Gold, like yellow, is energizing, mentally stimulating and is associated with power and abundance. It is associated with higher principles, wisdom and understanding.
Brown is a stabilizing color, helping you feel connected to the earth. It helps with being more nurturing and supportive. Too much brown though can decrease your feelings of self worth. Mix with other colors!

Color and Clothing: Influencing Others
While adding that red scarf to your black business suit may be just the thing to bolster your confidence for the big presentation, you may not make the best impression if red isn't a color that suits you. Just as important as what benefits a particular color gives to you as the wearer is how you look to those who see you in that color.
We've discussed color types before, and even those of you who aren't familiar with the modern system of color typing - using Silver and Gold - will likely remember the older system of "Seasonal" types. Determining what "season" a person was proved in many cases to be very difficult and people were often incorrectly identified as one or another type.
The Gold and Silver method is much simpler and has shown to be more accurately performed. The process is simple. Take a piece of gold jewelry and a piece of silver jewelry, preferably of the same type (necklaces, earrings, etc.) and place both against your skin (or put them on as appropriate). Whichever of the two metals "stands out" most is your type.
Here are a few quick color guidelines for the different metal types:
Gold types look best in warm colors like reds, oranges and yellows and are usually better suited to bold and vibrant, or deep and rich colors.
Silver types look better in cooler colors like blues, greens and purples and are generally better suited to muted and soft, or pale and icy colors.

In order to make use of the benefits associated with the colors listed above, you should make sure that you choose a color that gives the benefit you want, but that also flatters you. While the color types are specific in the colors that best suit them, you do need to be aware that most every color has a warm and cool shade or tone available to it. For example: "fire engine red" would be an ideal color choice for a gold color type, "Chinese red" actually contains a lot of blue undertones and would be a good choice for a silver color type. Most of these crossover shades occur within the red-to-blue end of the spectrum as red and blue are the warmest and coolest colors, respectively.
So, given what the information we have on the effects of colors, and the need to choose colors that are going to be flattering to our color type, let's look at some attitudes we want to project and color ideas for achieving them based on type:

"I want to appear bold and confident":
For the gold type, try cardinal red. For silvers, try rose.

"I want to appear calm and self-possessed":
For the gold type, try olive green. For silvers, try hunter green.

"I want to appear vibrant and energetic":
For the gold type, try orange. For silvers, try pale yellow.

"I want to appear professional and businesslike":
For the gold type, try royal blue. For silvers, try navy blue.

"I want to appear intuitive and nurturing":
For the gold type, try muted violet. For silvers, try lavender.

"I want to appear young and innocent":
For the gold type, try pink. For silvers, try lilac.

"I want to appear comfortable and natural":
For the gold type, try chocolate brown. For silvers, try tan or faun.

Hopefully, you can see the point I'm trying to illustrate here. If not, when you begin working with the colors in your own wardrobe you'll see more clearly the differences in the shades of certain colors and their appropriateness or inappropriateness for your color type. One thing you can see clearly is that the color choices for the gold type and silver type can be paired up and will look good together.
So, the next time you want to put together an outfit to impress, be sure to take the time and think about what image you want to present, and choose accordingly. The right colors, in the right shades for you, can give you that little "extra something" that can make everything come out right.