The Power of Red

What do you think of when you see the color red?  I would be willing to bet that no matter who you are, you have an opinion about red.  There are probably a myriad of colors out there that if you asked someone that very question they would have no response at all.  I can't imagine a tremendous variety of imaginative responses to that question if asked about moss green or salmon pink.  Most people would have nothing to say at all having never thought about those color very much.  But that is not so with the color red.  Red is one of those colors that evokes a response from everyone and usually quite a strong one.  

Even if it occurs on a subconscious level, people respond.  There have been many studies performed across various branches of the sciences about the effect of red.  Some studies found that a person wearing red was often chosen by participants as being more attractive or seeming more powerful and confident than the same person wearing another color like beige.  The person was the same, only the color changed and through it the perception of the individual changed drastically as well.  This might seem a touch too pragmatic for my light-hearted little fashion blog, but if you know certain colors can have such a profound affect on the way the world sees you, isn't it worth taking a moment to examine them further?  We won't go too much into the science of it all, but I will post a few links to articles related to those aforementioned studies down at the bottom of today's post.

As you have probably guessed from my posts of the previous two days, it is FemmeLuxe week.  I look forward to this every month because I get to showcase and review some really great fashion pieces for you and really go into depth about style elements and fashion how-tos.  Next month, in honor of all this time at home we are all going through together/ apart, I hope to showcase some of FemmeLuxe's T-Shirts, Joggers, and Loungewear, but for the present I am still enjoying wearing these lovely dresses in the anticipation of the days ahead when restrictions are lifted and we can all rejoin the world together.

Back to the subject at hand, for today's post I am wearing the Angelica Dress in Red.  You may recall from Monday that I wore this same Angelica dress in White.  Now, part of the reason I always choose this dress from FemmeLuxe when it's available for styling is that I really love the cut and the fit.  It has a lot of great style elements.  It was one of the very first dresses I ever styled for FemmeLuxe and was so impressed from the beginning that I just keep going back for more colors as they become available.  

However, I also think it's fun to do these little color comparisons from time to time just as a little reminder of why it's important to know how the palette you choose can effect the results you get.  Fashion is a form of creative expression after all.  So, for this little experiment, I wanted all elements to be  elements of these two sets of outfit photos:  both are the same, cut, style and size of dress, the jewelry, hair and make-up are the same, and both sets of photos are taken in fields of flowers that match the color of the dress.  And, yet, the effect in each set is quite different from the other.

Personally, I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite between the two.  I love the Angelica dress in any color and you can see me style this dress in black, burgundy and yellow by following these links, and I love each color for their unique effect.  Angelica has a great shape that works with your curves, a fantastic neckline, a belt at the narrowest part of the waist, and those fun full sleeves for an overall feminine look.  For tomorrow's post we'll be a little less business-like with a novelty print bodycon dress.

Shopping Info: Red Belted Bodycon Midi Dress - Angelica from FemmeLuxeFinery.co.uk

Articles on Red:  https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/color-red.html

http://www.dreamhomedecorating.com/psychological-effects-color-red.html

https://www.verywellmind.com/the-color-psychology-of-red-2795821