Why women try to keep ladies in red from their men

You may have chosen the dress you have on today because of the way it fits, how it complements your skin tone or maybe it was the only clean item in your wardrobe. What you might not know is that if you wear red, other women will assume that you are out to steal their man, a new study has found. PHOTO.NATION

What you need to know:

  • Psychologists found that women in red are perceived by other women as more sexual and more likely to prey on men in relationships as opposed to women wearing other colours such as white or green.
  • When asked which woman they perceived as more promiscuous or receptive to sex the majority of the respondents chose the woman in red.

You may have chosen the dress you have on today because of the way it fits, how it complements your skin tone or maybe it was the only clean item in your wardrobe.

What you might not know is that if you wear red, other women will assume that you are out to steal their man, a new study has found.

Psychologists found that women in red are perceived by other women as more sexual and more likely to prey on men in relationships as opposed to women wearing other colours such as white or green.

During the study women were first asked to look at photos of other women in white.

Then the photos were digitally altered to make it look like they were now wearing red and the women were asked to look at them again.

When asked which woman they perceived as more promiscuous or receptive to sex the majority of the respondents chose the woman in red.

The respondents also assessed the fidelity and financial resources of the women in the pictures.

FIDELITY TEST

Most thought that the woman in red would cheat on her partner though they did not judge her financial ability.

Finally, the women were asked to compare the photos of the women wearing red and those of the woman wearing a more neutral colour, green.

When asked whether they would introduce the woman in red to their boyfriends, the respondents were overwhelmingly unwilling to let this woman meet their men.

The researchers found that the colour of a woman’s dress or shirt affects what both men and women think about her.

The colour red was found to evoke ideas of sex because it symbolises love and lust . This explains why a woman would not want a woman in red near her partner.

Explaining the study titled ‘Red and romantic rivalry’, social psychologist Adam Padza who led the study says that there may be a biological explanation as to why the colour is seen as sexual because when women become sexually excited, they blush.

“Women are more likely to say that women in red are less faithful. They do pick up on the sexually receptive cue and what that leads to is some sort of defensiveness,” explained Padza.