Whether you're a fan of monochrome or love pink more than Barbie, color is often the first thing people consider when choosing an outfit. But graphic designer and self-development influencer Vira (@vira.yankoo) says your color choices impact how people see you—for better or worse.
"The colors we wear influence the first impression we make, as they evoke certain emotions and even influence our own behavior," she told Newsweek. "This is tied to the psychological associations we have and the way the colors stimulate our brain."
Known as color psychology, it's suggested that various shades can subconsciously affect everything from your mood to your belief system. Although it's a fairly new field of study, color psychology is ingrained in the art world and has long influenced marketing, graphic design, fashion and interior style decisions, too.
"Many companies choose their brand colors with a particular purpose, such as evoking feelings of security, positivity, or health," Vira said. "We can do the same with the color of clothes we wear to influence how people see us."
However, the significance of color is not universal, with our brains assigning meaning to hues based on a combination of cultural attitudes and personal experience.
"For example, red can reflect anger in Japan and passion in the USA," Vira said. "But people from different backgrounds may react to the same color in a completely different way, like seeing a femme fatale wearing red dress deepens the association between red and passion for Americans."
In her viral video shared to TikTok, Vira showcases a range of outfits and breaks down how each choice can influence people's perceptions.
Beginning with a gray sweater, Vira says that the shade has a soothing effect, but can also make the wearer appear more mature and neutral. Next up is a green T-shirt, with the tone's association with nature making the wearer seem calm and friendly.
Vira's brown sweater reflects warmth and security, so this shade should be worn if you want to seem reliable. Pink suggests playfulness and youthfulness, as it's a popular color choice for toys and clothes targeted at young girls.
"Vibrant colors remind us of rebellious teenagers, while pale colors convey stability and maturity," Vira said.
Blue is known as a calming color, which is why it is a common choice for finance and insurance-company branding. Orange is often seen as energizing, and yellow represents positivity.
"Purple is commonly associated with luxury, due to its rarity in nature," Vira said. "A totally black outfit can give off gloomy vibes, but I simply love it for its convenience and mysterious nature."
So, how do you tailor your outfit for the impression you want to make? Vira recommends using a color wheel. Organized by their chromatic association to one another, color wheels are commonly used in art and design to help make style choices.
"Colors that are opposite to each other on the wheel go together the best. For example, purple and yellow, or red and green," Vira said.
TikTok users were fascinated by Vira's video, with the clip receiving over 1.1 million views and more than 142,000 likes.
"These videos are so fascinating to me," commented Em.
"I love this it's so accurate," posted Liz.
"Taking notes for my interview," wrote Roads.
"How do I let people know that I'm a chaotic gremlin with abandonment issues in colors?" asked Rune/Evan.
"I wanna hug everyone in brown clothes idk [I don't know] why," commented cotton33_3.
"What color can I wear to be perceived as a threat?" asked Artemistress, while kote :3 wrote: "[I don't know] I wear what's in my closet."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
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