Wearing red ‘makes men look angry’

Men who wear red clothes send out a signal that they are angry and aggressive, in much the same way as if their face had reddened, according to new research from Durham University.

Shown images of men wearing red T-shirts, the study's 50 male volunteers also rated them as "dominant" although the 50 female volunteers did not.

Rob Barton, Professor in Evolutionary Anthropology at Durham University, who led the study, said that the results may have parallels in nature and could provide insights into whether it is advisable to wear red in certain social situations.

Professor Barton worked with colleagues Dr Russell Hill and PhD student Diana Wiedemann in the Department of Anthropology, and Dr Mike Burt, of the Department of Psychology, all at Durham University.

Ms Wiedemann, who conducted the experiments, said:

“We know that the colour red has an effect on the human brain. This is embedded in our culture, for example the idea of wearing a red tie – known as a ‘power tie’ - for business, or issuing a red alert.

“The implications of our research are that people may wish to think carefully about wearing red in social situations and perhaps important meetings, such as job interviews. Being perceived as aggressive or dominant may be an advantage in some circumstances but a disadvantage in others, for example where teamwork or trustworthiness is important.”

Previous Durham University research suggested the colour could give sportsmen and women an advantage but it believes this latest study is the first to look at the effect of the colour in neutral social settings.

To limit the number of variables volunteers only viewed images of men but the perceptions of women wearing red may be a topic for future research, the university said.