The Biological Reason One Color Is So Much More Attractive On A Date
Why sending the right low-key signals works so well.
GaudiLab | Shutterstock Feeling a little blue about dating? Seeing that “green-eyed monster” when your friends talk about their great relationships? Whether it’s the "Monday blues" or that stormy "black cloud" that follows us when we're feeling down, we have long had an emotional connection to color.
Purple is caring, pink is for tenderness, green is nature, and blue is calm. But what about love? What color can accurately describe the way love makes us feel?
The biological reasons red is so much more attractive on a date
Red is emotive
According to research published in the Journal of Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, the color red attracts attention in an emotional context. So, that one color may give women just the boost we need when trying to attract that guy we’ve had our eye on: Red. That's right ladies, so grab that little red dress you spent way too much money on and apply your boldest red lipstick, and hit the town! You were meant to find love in this color.
While this may not be a big surprise — we’ve long known red is the color of passion and heat — there’s some real science behind its why, as shown in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Red is on our blood
The attraction to red is likely based on the color of blood, which is the easiest signal the body can produce to advertise fertility. And of course, when we look at the “survival of the species” perspective, fertility is the name of the game.
Just like animals, we respond to biological triggers that indicate it’s time to mate — color being one of the more important ones. Just think of the pictures of baboons you’ve seen with those red organs! We are similar, as suggested by research on the red-romance effect in the Public Library of Science One Journal.
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We aren't all aware of the red effect
The funny thing is, many men aren’t necessarily aware of this innate attraction to red. So if we know there are millions of years of history indicating that males are sexually attracted to red, it stands to reason that wearing red would give you a boost on the attraction meter when trying to catch the eye of a cute guy.
Susan Hagen of Rochester University demonstrates that when women wear red, men are more attracted, more likely to ask women out, and spend more money while on a date. Isn't that the best thing ever? Not only does your date think you're mega hot, but he's going to be spending more money on you because of how hot he finds you. And all you have to do is wear red.
So whether it’s red lipstick, a red dress or top, or even a red nightie, maybe you should try adding red to your wardrobe staples. After all, it’s science.
Kelly P. Crossing is an experienced counselor and relationship expert who specializes in helping women build the lives and relationships they want by understanding their driving needs and how to meet them.