Men, Women, and Color

     Do you think that men and women have the same ideas about color? Researchers have studied the colors of clothing that men and women prefer. It seems that men like some colors more than women do, and women like some colors more than men do.

     The three favorite colors for men are blue, green, and black. Blue makes people feel calm. It also gives a feeling of stability—blue is a color that says things will stay the same. Blue also gives a feeling of authority, or being responsible for someone or something. Green also gives a feeling of stability, like blue. And, green makes people feel balanced. It signifies growth, health, and the environment. Black is a more serious color. Many men like to wear black.

     The colors that a lot of men don't like are brown, orange, and purple. Some men may think that purple is feminine, or more likely to be worn by women. They think brown is a dull color—it's just too boring. And orange might remind men of pumpkins. No one likes to look like a round, orange vegetable!

     But here is something interesting. Some of the colors that men tend to like are also the ones that women often like. Like men, many women like blue and green. Women also tend to dislike brown and orange. The biggest difference is that women do like purple. They also tend to dislike gray, which many men like.

     It seems that red and yellow are unpopular colors for clothing for both men and women. Very few people say that red or yellow is their favorite color.