This is the track explore Christian Richomme, psychoanalyst, therapist and author in Paris. According to him, the color of a garment is never trivial. It translates a state of mind, an emotional need or a defense mechanism. A survey by the French Fashion Institute goes in the same direction: 72 % of French people claim that their clothes influence their mood.
How colors really influence your state of mind
“”Colors are not just a simple visual effect, they are a reflection of our deepest moods“, Says Christian Richomme. According to him, each shade activates an unconscious psychic language, often inherited from childhood or deep cultural patterns.
The expert deciphers the link between certain shades and the emotional states that they betray:
- Black: protection, control, emotional distance. “”It is a refuge color, a rampart. Many take refuge there to protect yourself or fade“;
- Red: energy, desire for power or visibility. “”It projects a power, a desire to be seen and heard“. A study by the University of California (2023) goes further: red increases by 15 % the perception of authority in business;
- Light blue or navy: search for stability, confidence;
- White: need for balance, purity or renewal;
- Green: appeasement, link with nature, emotional anchoring;
- Yellow: optimism, creativity, need to shine;
- Violet: introspection, spirituality, mystery;
- Orange: sociability, enthusiasm, spontaneity;
- Gray: neutrality, pragmatism, refusal of exposure;
- Brown: authenticity, stability, need for rooting;
- Association of several colors: creativity, openness, desire for diversity.
When tones are perfectly coordinated, this often betrays a need for mastery, of emotional consistency. Conversely, a bright mixture signals an expressive, even anti -conformist personality.
Why choose your clothes “in conscience” changes everything
Beyond the simple taste, learning to decode what you wear is to gain in lucidity. “”A color can become emotional armor“, insists the psychoanalyst. Dressing in red before an important meeting, choosing blue to refocus, or green to appease a stressful day … These are no longer coquetries, but tools.
The figures confirm this: 60 % of women and 54 % of men adapt their clothing colors to their mood of the day. And this reflex could become a beneficial routine, to face everyday life with more consistency between what you feel … and what you show.