Have you ever wondered why some clothes boost our confidence, while others make us feel out of place? Why do we instantly relax in some spaces, but feel anxious in others? Experts claim that the answer lies in the colossal power of color, which modern society still tends to underestimate.
Rich red is associated with energy and motivation. Illustrative photo: Nasha Niva
The mysteries of how color palettes control our behavior, health, and even career were revealed in an interview with Welt by Axel Büther, one of the world's leading researchers in the psychology of color.
As Büther notes, about 60% of our brain's resources are constantly occupied with processing visual signals. Approximately 99% of these processes occur unconsciously, but they instantly affect perception and behavior. The connection between color and our actions has deep evolutionary roots — it's a matter of survival. Color helps us decide whether to eat a suspicious fruit or if it's safe to cross the road on a red light.
Color as a language of power and status
In the social sphere, color has always served as a language of power and status. Once, purple was an exclusive privilege of emperors, and violating this rule could lead to death. In the modern world, color codes have become more subtle, but no less influential.
Not only the colors themselves, but also their shades are important. Mixing colors changes their perception. For example,
rich cherry-red is associated with energy and motivation, while pink-white shades are associated with tenderness and restraint. Knowing these nuances can help people consciously manage the impression they leave.
For example, during interviews or salary negotiation talks, the color of clothing can subconsciously influence the outcome. Even if it doesn't determine everything, it supports the desired image. Blue shades can add confidence, while beige and grey-browns can emphasize professionalism and reliability.
Büther mentions the example of former German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel: at the beginning of her career, she was often criticized for her style, but later she began to consciously use colors. Red allowed her to remain visible and demonstrate leadership ambitions among male colleagues in identical dark suits.
German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and former US President Barack Obama. April 5, 2019. Photo: Michael Kappeler / picture alliance via Getty Images
What colors say about personality
Büther claims that the choice of clothing color is not always random, but often a manifestation of our innate temperament. The researcher dedicated twenty years to a large-scale project, analyzing the contents of wardrobes worldwide. The experiment was based on an interesting mechanism: strangers were asked to assess the character of the owner of the items, based only on the color palette of their clothing.
In more than 70% of cases, their conclusions matched how the person perceived their own personality. This confirms that one can infer personality traits with high accuracy from color preferences: a very colorful range usually signals maximum extroversion, while light or muted tones reveal an introvert.
Today, interest in finding "their" colors is experiencing a new boom among millennials and representatives of Generation Z. They are once again turning to the system of seasonal color types — from "spring" to "winter" — which was popular in 90s magazines and has now become a viral trend on TikTok. This method helps to understand which shades best emphasize natural beauty: skin, eye, and hair color.
Actor Timothée Chalamet with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner. Photo: Earl Gibson III / Deadline via Getty Images
However, our image is influenced not only by our internal state but also by the surrounding environment — the so-called "50-50 rule". We often succumb to the influence of our idols, social groups, or aggressive marketing.
As a result, as the expert notes, people often buy things that don't suit them: about 60% of clothing remains almost untouched after a year, because the fashionable color that looked great on an idol or in an advertisement simply does not match the person's own identity.
Traditional yellow houses in north-western Belarus. Photo from social networks
Color and well-being
While in fashion we can still allow ourselves risky experiments, in the sphere of food and hygiene, strict biological laws apply. The expert gives a simple example:
milk in a pink carton will never achieve commercial success. Our subconscious firmly associates the freshness and naturalness of a product with white or green, and any deviation from this norm is perceived as a signal of danger or counterfeiting.
Similar logic applies to cosmetics. Brands like Nivea use a blue-white palette for a reason. This combination instantly conveys ideas of purity, sterility, trust, and seriousness.
Just as we underestimate the influence of clothing, we often ignore the role of color in the design of our living spaces. However, our reaction to interiors has deep evolutionary origins. For millions of years, humans have become accustomed to feeling most comfortable and calm amidst natural earthy shades — such as ochre or clay.
Rich green is a color found everywhere in nature and therefore helps us to relax as much as possible. Illustrative photo: Nasha Niva
Green also favorably affects our psyche, but here again, nuances play a decisive role. For example, rich green is a color found everywhere in nature and therefore helps us to relax as much as possible. At the same time, neon green is perceived by the brain more as an alarm signal.
When consulting large enterprises and public institutions — hospitals, nursing homes, and therapeutic centers — Professor Büther strongly recommends using soft natural shades in such places. In such environments, people relax better and demonstrate more successful results in the treatment and rehabilitation process.
The influence of color and materials even extends beyond individual buildings, shaping our perception of entire cities.
Researchers have noticed an interesting pattern: in cities like Paris, where natural materials (such as light limestone) predominate, residents of all ages feel safer than, for example, in New York with its glass and metal skyscrapers.
Photo: Getty Images
A smart choice of color scheme also allows us to effectively manage our productivity. Axel Büther draws attention to a typical mistake in offices:
if break rooms look the same as workspaces, employees cannot mentally switch off and continue to think about work even during a break. This is especially relevant for those who work from home. To "trick" the brain and teach it to relax within the same four walls, it is enough to simply change the color of the walls in different zones.
"It's like in the cinema: we make a scene change and sort of re-encode the perception. In a smoky-blue room, I work, and in a sandy-colored one, I lie on the sofa and calm down. The brain instantly understands this change," explains Büther.
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