Hi, everyone, it's Justine. Fun video today. Colors have an effect on people, this you know: exciting, calming...
It's all natural, it's human. It's a matter of
wavelengths of light and of perception by the human eye. Each color influences us in a different way, has a different meaning, has different ideas
that its suggests. Knowing that
allows you to understand what your wardrobe is saying about you without you noticing
and you could technically even wear colors to make a certain statement
on a certain occasion, in a certain context as you want it to be perceived, so in today's video
I tell you what each color means, the main colors on the color wheel
what associations, emotions, feelings are attached to it, how to use that and
then, what happens if you combine colors in an outfit. After watching this video you'll better understand
why you really like or really hate certain colors even if it's not conscious process. Let's go.
First, what colors mean:
Blue.
Blue is my favorite color, I feel naturally attracted to it
and I think there's nothing more beautiful on Earth than a deep blue sky up in the mountains.
Blue is calming, it stands for serenity, reflection, trustworthiness.
It's an intellectual color for people who think a lot and have a rich interior life. It is a mindful color,
a blue sky, a dark night, a deep sea
Every association that comes to mind is calming and peaceful.
But blue can also be seen as cold or unfriendly by people who gravitate towards
warmer colors. Each color has a positive and a negative side and both need to be taken into account
Red.
Red is called a physical color because it jumps into your face quite literally
It's a matter of wavelength it's physics, but red is the first color
perceived by the human eye. You know when you walk into the subway
and you have babies asleep in their trolleys, and you wear bright red lipstick, they go like [Justine does :O]
and they can't stop staring at you anymore. You know that feeling?
That's because red is dominant. It is strong. It is full of energy
It's warm. It's exciting, even sexual in many cultures
there was a time in Europe when women were supposed to use a white makeup only and red lips were
reserved to prostitutes as a sign of recognition. In Japan geishas wore red lips as a
sign of strong feminity because it's captivating and really attractive.
But red can also be perceived as being aggressive, like the fire of the volcano
Yellow
Yellow is an emotional color, it's the color of the sun so it's really intense. Positive words associated with yellow are
optimism, confidence
creativity and the feeling that you're really
fully awake, it's broadly used in Buddhism, and that makes a lot of sense to me
But at the same time yellow can also be unstable, like the feeling that if you get any closer to that sun
you might burn yourself. I feel that when I'm stressed too
I feel more and more attracted to yellow and at the same time I notice that my ability to focus is decreasing
that's a sign, then I know that
I need a break and I need to calm down and you can try the same at home: every evening ask yourself which color
describes best how you felt today, and it's actually a great indicator of how you feel deeper inside
Green
Green brings harmony and balance
I think human beings need green in their lives
people who live in large cities never see any tree, never walk barefoot on the grass, get depressed
I'm pretty convinced of that. When was the last time that you walked barefoot in the grass
I try to do that as often as I can and I look at my feet
And I tank up on green for the eyes and the mind.
Green is fresh: it means renewal, balance, rest
The eye doesn't have to make any effort when looking at something green
it's really easy to take in. Green fields also mean that it will be a good year for the crops.
But green can also be perceived as stagnation and give you the feeling that nothing is happening
Blue, red, yellow and green are the four main colors
now let's add in orange, purple and then the classics: black, white, gray and brown
Orange.
Orange is a mix of red and yellow so you have the passion of red and the positive energy of yellow
It stands for comfort, abundance, fun, warmth.
But it can also be perceived as inconsistent and immature, a bit like a fruit that hasn't reached it's final color yet
Purple.
Purple is a very spiritual color.
It's also quite luxurious looking, so when cosmetic companies launch new and high-end products
they usually make the packaging purple, so they all look purple
but they're all trying to look luxurious [laughs] It stands for quality and it's more spiritual than blue.
But it's so spiritual that it can also come across as shy and or introverted.
Black.
Black is sophisticated,
efficient, sober, classy.
One of the websites I was browsing when preparing this video, which I will link below among other things,
said "black is emotionally safe". It sounds mean, but I think it's actually an asset. When I'm in doubt,
I wear black: it is safe, and that's okay.
It's a great choice!
But black can also be perceived as
depressed and a bit negative.
In Catholic countries, like France, wearing black is appropriate when going to somebody's funerals
White.
White is clean, pure, simple, minimal. Minimalists love white.
In Catholic countries the bride, who's supposed to be a virgin when she gets married, is wearing a white dress
I'm not Catholic or pro religion or anything, but I'm French,
and in my country historically the Catholic Church has marked and influenced the way we see things and in France
it's like this: the bride wears white and when you're going to the funeral of somebody you wear black,
and I know that in other countries it's the opposite. To funerals you would wear white and black is actually quite happy color,
it's really cultural and when you perceive colors there's a part that is biological and a part that is trained, educated
that's your culture
Grey.
Grey is neither black nor white, it's somewhere in between by definition
It's not making any decision so to speak so it's neutral and that's quite practical
it's the reason why the wall behind me has always been grey: it works with everything, every topic and every idea.
But grey can also be seen as course and sterile because it doesn't contain any of the primary colors that the eye
reacts much more strongly to when seeing it
Brown.
A brown tree has its roots well planted into the ground,
stable in the Earth. It's stable, reliable, it supports you.
In French we say something like: "this person is my tree".
It means that you fully trust that person and it's such a relief to feel this way about someone, isn't it?
But just like the tree, the color brown can also be perceived as inflexible and heavy.
Now what happens if you combine different colors in an outfit?
When you wear one color you're sending one clear message to everybody looking at you. If you wear red
you're saying I want to be the boss. I want to dominate. I want you to see me
I want you to want me if that's a hot dress that you're wearing to a date, okay,
that's red: one color, one message, very clear
If you add colors that are close to that one on the color wheel like pink or bordeaux, which is a dark red
You're still fine
But if you add colors to that one that are based off of other primary colors
you're getting a lot louder immediately you're going to have a very bright, very loud, very in-your-face
outfit and in terms of Color Psychology,
you're actually starting to send
contradictory messages at the same time to the people who are looking at you. If you are aware of it,
and it is serving your purpose, go ahead. Be bold, be loud,
you're fine, but remember that we don't really control the way we perceive colors,
so if you want to be perceived a certain way, it is up to you to wear the corresponding colors, if that makes sense.
But it's useful to know it, once you know that you can really play with it. For example, politics aside
Melania Trump always wears a very clear message sending outfits on each occasion, I think.
On the day of the Inauguration of President Trump she was wearing a full blue outfit.
On the night of the Inaugural Ball she was wearing a white dress with the thin red belt
I'm sure now you understand which impression she was trying to make on each of those occasions
Knowing the power of colors is a great skill if you have a business meeting where you need to stand out and be heard, wear red.
If you have a creative meeting, where you want to display a good self-reflection, wear blue
If you have a negotiation and you really need to close that deal and you want to inspire trust to the other party,
wear brown! Etcetera.
I am sure that now you're going to look at people in a whole new way. Thumbs up if you enjoyed this video
Thank you
And which color are you? What are colors that are positive and negative in your culture?
If you want more videos about color, look at the playlist which I linked in the description below.
New videos every Wednesday and Sunday, until then, take care
Bye, bye