Dressing up in red makes men look 'angry and dominant'

While you may dress up in red thinking it makes you look attractive, a new study has shown that it gives out "angry and dominant" vibes.

The research by Durham University in England 50 male and 50 female volunteers were showed images of men in different coloured t-shirts, where they rated those wearing red as more aggressive and angry than those in blue or grey.

However, while the male volunteers also tended to consider men wearing red as 'dominant', the female volunteers did not.

Professor Rob Barton, who led the study, said that the results of the research may have parallels in nature and could provide insights into whether it is advisable to wear red in certain social situations

PhD student Diana Wiedemann, who conducted the experiments, said that it is known that the colour red has an effect on the human brain. The implications of the research were that people may wish to think carefully about wearing red in social situations and perhaps important meetings. Being perceived as aggressive or dominant may be an advantage in some circumstances but a disadvantage in others.

The new study is believed to be the first into the effects of colour on social perceptions of dominance and aggression in neutral settings.

Professor Barton said, taken together, the findings suggest a clear association between the colour red and perceptions of anger, possibly related to the role of facial reddening as a natural sign of anger.

The study is published in the Royal Society journal, Biology Letters.