Although most of the articles linking to the BBC's recent story that wearing red 'boosts attraction' state that attractiveness is the quality measured, the study focused more on calculating how much money a man would spend - given $100 - on a date with a woman in a blue or red shirt. Generally, the men spent more on the women wearing red.
The researchers who conducted the study at the University of Rochester felt that the response could be linked to ovulation signaling in primates, where the females of the species' privates become engorged with blood when primed to procreate. Human studies on ovulation and attraction aren't as readily available, although I do remember the fascinating book Sperm Wars (Compare Prices) to have presented more than one theory on the subject; essentially that human females behaviors' change during ovulation, mostly to increase their chances of creating the most viable offspring.
So how does this research relate to singles? I'll let the author of the study, quoted in Scientific American, say it for me:
"I'm not going to let my 16-year-old daughter wear red, let's put it that way," says study author Andrew Elliot, a professor of psychology at the University of Rochester. "I do think a female who's interested in a male and going on a date ought to pull that red shirt out of the closet, because most likely it will make her more attractive to him."
What do you think? Has red changed how people interact with you? Will you wear red more often - on a date, or even a first date - based on this study?
That’s great for the ladies…but what color works for the men to attract the ladies??
I am only going to wear read from here on out.
Maybe even little boys know this. When my son was 4 he got lost at the zoo. He told the man helping him look for me I was wearing a red dress. I have never in my life owned a red dress. Years later we were talking about this and my son told me he said that because he wanted the man to look for me.
RT, I couldn’t find any studies about specific colors used to attract women, but I can say that watching a show like The Pickup Artist may help a bit. They don’t specifically focus on colors per say – more like the kinds of ‘peacocking’ behaviors that attract women generally. Not to say that I’m a fan of manipulative seduction (I’m not), but I do find merit in learning what flirting techniques, body language and clothing can be used to attract a mate in the initial introductory stages, and the show explains this relatively well. I’ve synopsized a couple of the episodes here on the site if you can’t get your hands on the show.
Catherinette, I hear you! I love wearing red; now I have more of an excuse to.
Very sweet story Sandy. I appreciate you sharing it with us.
i agree- red from now on. amaizing! interesting study!
I wonder how wearing ‘red’ would affect sales in the real estate market?