Wearing U. Kansas blue is a staple at athletic events at the University, but guys might want to consider rocking the crimson if they want to attract more ladies.
That’s right — women might find men wearing red more attractive, according to a recent study.
The Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, a journal published by the American Psychological Association, released a study with these findings earlier this month.
The study suggested that women in the United States, England, China and Germany found men more attractive and desirable if the man was wearing red or was surrounded by red.
Although this experiment still needs to be replicated to hold up as fact, Stephen Ilardi, professor of psychology, said the findings aren’t inconceivable.
“Red is a color we notice,” Ilardi said. “And what makes red so attention-grabbing? Well, it’s the color of blood.”
Different species of primates use red markings to show both dominance and hierarchy. Humans might not be all that different.
It’s possible that our visual systems are hard-wired to register red as a color of significance, Ilardi said.
In the study, a photo of a moderately attractive male was shown to groups of men and women. The background color of the photo or the color of the shirt the man was wearing was altered. Participants were then asked to rate the attractiveness of the male on a nine-point scale with nine being “extremely attractive.”
In both experiments women found the man wearing or surrounded by red more attractive by about one-point, which is a significant jump statistically. Changes in color had no effect on male participants.
Not all guys are convinced a change in color would make much of a difference. Trevor Lucas, a sophomore from Louisburg, said he would rather wear clothes he is comfortable in.
Grayson Warrior, a junior from Lamont, Okla., also said he wouldn’t change his wardrobe to attract more women.
“Why should I wear a certain color to attract someone instead of them just being attracted to me?” Warrior said.
Still, wearing red attire could help the impression a guy makes.
Karen Parente, a junior from Overland Park, said she thought if a guy wore red, he would stand out in a crowd and show that he’s more confident.
Ilardi agreed that this was definitely possible. If a man can pull off wearing red, it could say something about his level of confidence or level of status.
At the same time, Ilardi said, wearing red could signal arrogance or a tendency to take risks, which might not be appealing to every woman.
Emi Torres, a senior from Lawrence, said she thought purple was the most attractive color on a guy.
“Purple is one of those colors that, although it is associated with femininity,” she said, “I think that if a guy can wear it confidently, it shows his masculinity.”