15 years ago, I was trained to tell clients what colours suited them best according to Hair, Skin and Eye colour. Now after years of providing this service to many clients I have done much more research on colour and there are many, many more benefits to wearing colour than just suiting it and looking fantastic in it. You can have the psychological benefits of wearing colour as well.

Now more than ever it is important to know how colour can boost your mood. Colour combinations can be so satisfying. New colours can add vibrancy to your day as well as your wardrobe.

Colour can mean different things to different cultures.

White

In India white is for funerals and in China death and mourning; and in the West it symbolises purity and peace and is the colour worn for wedding.

Blue

In Japan blue means fidelity as well as good luck. In the West, blue is associated with sadness and feeling low. In Hinduism blue represents love and divine joy.

The Psychological Impact of colour on you

Discovering just how powerful colour is on your everyday life will astound you. There is not one of the 16 million colours that we can distinguish with our eyes that does not give us a psychological impact whether we are aware or not.

The primary colours

· Red

this colour triggers physical responses, raising the heartbeat, quickens the pulser and can activate the fight or flight mechanism.

· Blue

affects our intellect. Its primary action is to trigger mental responses.

· Yellow

this colour affects our emotions, transmitting signals to and from the brain around the rest of the body.

· Green

This is the colour of harmony and balance. Green is the balance between the mind, body, and emotional self. (My favourite colour as well).

In the next section let’s look at 11 colours and consider their positive and adverse effects and when to wear (and not to wear)

RED

· Positive effects:

Warmth, energy, stimulation, excitement, strength, courage.

· Adverse effects:

Aggressive, defiant, dominating, impatient, demanding.

When to wear

· When you want to get noticed

· To appear powerful and in control

PINK

· Positive effects:

Soothing, nurturing, femininity, warm supportive, compassionate, and caring.

· Adverse effects:

Emotional fragility, neediness, instability, physical weakness and draining.

When to wear

· When working with children

· To come across as caring and compassionate

YELLOW

· Positive effects:

Happiness, optimism, self-confidence, self-esteem.

· Adverse Effects

Irrationality, anxiety, overstimulation of the Nervous System

When to wear

· When you need cheering up

· To boost Self confidence

· On a grey day to bring the sunshine with you

ORANGE

· Positive Effects:

Playful, fun

Physical comfort and warmth

· Adverse Effects:

Immaturity

Deprivation

Frustration

Frivolity

When to wear

· Anything where there is fun and frivolity.

· Lightning of moods.

· Putting a smile on people’s faces.

· Approachability.

BROWN

· Positive Effects:

Warm, connects with nature.

Safe, reliable, serious, supportive.

· Adverse Effects:

Lack of humour

Heaviness

Lack of sophistication

When to wear

· To be seen as dependable

· To be taken seriously

· When stability is required

BLUE

· Positive Effects:

Light blue – serenity, mentally calming

Dark blue – focus and concentration

Adverse Effects:

Cold aloof, unfriendly

When to wear

· Light Blue – when you want to appear approachable and friendly.

· Dark Blue – when you want to appear authoritative and knowledgeable.

Turquoise

When you want to appear open to communication and idea sharing.

GREEN

· Positive Effects:

Balance, harmony, refreshing, rest, restorative, reassurance and peace.

Adverse Effects:

Boredom, stagnation

When to wear

· Soft/Dark greens help people feel at ease.

· Lime Green is full of energy.

PURPLE

· Positive Effects:

Spiritual Awareness, Wisdom, Composure.

Adverse Effects:

Introversion

Suppression

Inferiority

When to wear

· When meditating as help…