A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being invited to see Moulin Rouge! in London. As someone who had never seen the film, I had no idea what awaited me behind the door. Inside the theatre room was tons and tons of red. Red curtains, red hearts, red fairy lights, red projector lights, and red seats. You name an object and it was most likely red. It was then I was informed that the general plot revolved around sex, secrets, and prostitution. It was this that made me wonder, why is red associated with sex? Low and behold this article in which I aim to uncover the reason why red is deemed to be a sexy colour.
One explanation is that human societies have paired red and feeling desire for such a long time, that it is almost conditioned to think of them together. Some scholars have claimed that red ochre (pigments used for paint) was used in fertility rituals by early humans, with the belief that it may have been painted onto women’s bodies and faces. Red and marriage can also be seen mentioned in Rigveda, an ancient Hindu text that is at least 3,500 years old. Modern media and books have also be seen to use red in the context of sex. Hawthorn’s The Scarlet Letter (in which I must admit I have only seen its film reboot, Easy A) is an example where red is used to convey sex and desire. For those unfamiliar, the protagonist is made to wear a scarlet A to signify adultery for giving birth out of wedlock. The red-light district is another obvious example.
A study done by University of Rochester psychologists aimed to look at this further, and resulted in what they dubbed the “romantic red hypothesis.” Whilst admitted that the associated between red and sex could be a product of social learning, they noted that there is a reason to believe that it is down to roots in our biological heritage. Within their study, they drew an analogy between female humanes, and female non-human (primates)---many of these display reddened genitals, chests, and in some cases, faces when nearing ovulation. This is because the blush is caused by elevated oestrogen levels that increase blood flow to the skin. One of the most obvious examples of this phenomenon is the baboon who’s bottom swells in an obvious manner in order to let prospective mates know she is fertile. Also included in this study was asking male undergraduates to rate the attractiveness of women in photos. These photos included a variety of colours or features of colours. In every variation of the experiment there was the same result: women either in red or appearing against a backdrop of it were rated as more attractive. Several years later the experiment was repeated in the reverse manner, asking women to rate men. The same conclusion was reached: men wearing red were seen to be more attractive.
Later studies have tried to copy the experiment in order to find similar results, and although the results have been alike, there are often caveats. One study conducted five years after the original found that although red does enhance men’s sexual attraction to women, it only works when the women in the photos are young. The following year, a different study revealed that this ‘“red effect”’ on attractiveness to women only works when applied to “‘feminine women”’. This is due to the way ‘femininity’ signals higher reproductive values, such as the earlier baboon example.. ‘Masculinity’ or masculine features on the other hand is associated with dominance and status. In some situations, red is deemed a masculine colour due to its relation to notions of strength, blood, and fire. Red is also a symbol of danger, hence the term “‘red flags’” when talking about someones negative or threatening behaviour. A paper done by the conductor of the original investigation revealed that women are more likely to perceive other women wearing red as sexually receptive and a potential vials they should guard against. It is apparent from this that there is still ambiguity on the way that red increases desire or can be seen as seductive. This shows that our association between red and sex may indeed be a product of social learning rather than a biological phenomenon. Research has also shown that red has many different associations outside of sex, romance and anger being one of them. In some parts of West Africa, it is associated with protection from evil spirits .
Robert Calin-Jageman, psychologist at Dominican University refused to accept the romantic red hypothesis one bit, and instead came out with a useful piece of advice. Instead of filling your wardrobe with red, “invest your time and money in something else to make yourself attractive.” Though arguably not said as kindly, Calin-Jagemen has a point. There is no point in spending money on red clothes that you don’t feel comfortable and confident in purely to appeal to some uncertain studies. Instead, take time to work out what you feel the best in and let your confidence shine through. If you feel sexy in red, then that is great! Equally, if you find your confidence lies in yellow, that is also okay!
By Stephanie McCartney