PDF

Published

2024-10-10

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 9 (2024): Published

Section

Research Articles

License

The journal adopts the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which means that anyone can reuse and redistribute the materials for non-commercial purposes as long as you follow the license terms and the original source is properly cited.

Author(s) shall retain the copyright of their work and grant the Journal/Publisher rights for the first publication with the work concurrently licensed since 2023 Vol.8 No.2.

Under this license, author(s) will allow third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content under the condition that the authors are given credit. No permission is required from the authors or the publisher.

This broad license intends to facilitate free access, as well as the unrestricted use of original works of all types. This ensures that the published work is freely and openly available in perpetuity.

By providing open access, the following benefits are brought about:

  • Higher Visibility, Availability and Citations-free and unlimited accessibility of the publication over the internet without any restrictions increases citation of the article.
  • Ease of search-publications are easily searchable in search engines and indexing databases.
  • Rapid Publication – accepted papers are immediately published online.
  • Available for free download immediately after publication at https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP

 

Copyright Statement

1.The authors certify that the submitted manuscripts are original works, do not infringe the rights of others, are free from academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, and that there are no disputes over the authorship scheme of the collaborative articles. In case of infringement, academic misconduct and confidentiality issues, as well as disputes over the authorship scheme, all responsibilities will be borne by the authors.

2. The author agrees to grant the Editorial Office of Environment and Social Psychology a licence to use the reproduction right, distribution right, information network dissemination right, performance right, translation right, and compilation right of the submitted manuscript, including the work as a whole, as well as the diagrams, tables, abstracts, and any other parts that can be extracted from the work and used in accordance with the characteristics of the journal. The Editorial Board of Environment and Social Psychology has the right to use and sub-licence the above mentioned works for wide dissemination in print, electronic and online versions, and, in accordance with the characteristics of the periodical, for the period of legal protection of the property right of the copyright in the work, and for the territorial scope of the work throughout the world.

3. The authors are entitled to the copyright of their works under the relevant laws of Singapore, provided that they do not exercise their rights in a manner prejudicial to the interests of the Journal.

About Licence

Environment and Social Psychology is an open access journal and all published work is available under the Creative Commons Licence, Authors shall retain copyright of their work and grant the journal/publisher the right of first publication, and their work shall be licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Under this licence, the author grants permission to third parties to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute and/or copy the content with attribution to the author. No permission from the author or publisher is required.

This broad licence is intended to facilitate free access to and unrestricted use of original works of all kinds. This ensures that published works remain free and accessible in perpetuity. Submitted manuscripts, once accepted, are immediately available to the public and permanently accessible free of charge on the journal’s official website (https://esp.as-pub.com/index.php/ESP). Allowing users to read, download, copy, print, search for or link to the full text of the article, or use it for other legal purposes. However, the use of the work must retain the author's signature, be limited to non-commercial purposes, and not be interpretative.

Click to download <Agreement on the Licence for the Use of Copyright on Environmental and Social Psychology>.

How to Cite

Fančovičová, J., & Prokop, P. (2024). Slimming shades: investigating the allure of black clothing on women’s aesthetics. Environment and Social Psychology, 9(9). https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v9i9.3037

Slimming shades: investigating the allure of black clothing on women's aesthetics

Jana Fančovičová

Faculty of Education, Trnava University, Priemyselná 4, Trnava, 918 43, Slovakia

Pavol Prokop

Comenius University

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2016-7468


DOI: https://doi.org/10.59429/esp.v9i9.3037


Keywords: colour preference, human mating, human sexual selection, diary study

Abstract

Colours play a significant role in sexual selection among nonhuman animals. As trichromatic primates, humans lack the pronounced skin colouration observed in certain primates. However, they expand their colour preferences by embracing various hues and styles through clothing and fashion. The attractiveness associated with black lacks a known biological basis but appears to derive from its perceived fashionable nature. One mechanism contributing to the allure of black is its slimming effect. Black absorbs visible light, creating shadows that obscure contours and the illusion of reduced distinctiveness in shapes. This visual effect can give a slimmer appearance than wearing lighter or brighter colours, which may accentuate curves or shapes more prominently. In Study 1, conducted by means of an online questionnaire, women wearing black clothing were perceived as slimmer than those wearing yellow and green clothing. However, the slimming effect was significant when comparing black with yellow and green but not significant when comparing black with white, red, and purple. Study 2 involved tracking the colours of the clothing worn by women for 30 days. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between wearing black clothes and the participants' body mass index (BMI). Our research suggests that the perceived attractiveness of the black colour is due in part to its slimming effect and that women with higher BMI may opt for black clothing to visually mitigate their weight.

References

[1]. Darwin, C. (1859). On the origin of species by means of natural selection. London: Murray.

[2]. Darwin, C. (1871). The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex. London: Murray.

[3]. Jacobs, G. H., Neitz, M., Deegan, J. F., & Neitz, J. (1996). Trichromatic colour vision in New World monkeys. Nature, 382(6587), 156–158.

[4]. Surridge, A. K., Osorio, D., & Mundy, N. I. (2003). Evolution and selection of trichromatic vision in primates. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 18, 198–205.

[5]. Fernandez, A. A., & Morris, M. R. (2007). Sexual selection and trichromatic color vision in primates: statistical support for the preexisting-bias hypothesis. The American Naturalist, 170(1), 10–20.

[6]. Jeck, D. M., Qin, M., Egeth, H., & Niebur, E. (2019). Unique objects attract attention even when faint. Vision Research, 160, 60–71.

[7]. Beall, A. T., & Tracy, J. L. (2013). Women are more likely to wear red or pink at peak fertility. Psychological Science, 24(9), 1837–1841.

[8]. Eisenbruch, A. B., Simmons, Z. L., & Roney, J. R. (2015). Lady in red: Hormonal predictors of women’s clothing choices. Psychological Science, 26(8), 1332–1338.

[9]. Elliot, A.J., & Niesta, D. (2008). Romantic red: red enhances men’s attraction to women. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 95, 1150–1164.

[10]. Elliot, A. J., Greitemeyer, T., & Pazda, A. D. (2013). Women's use of red clothing as a sexual signal in intersexual interaction. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49(3), 599–602.

[11]. Rowland, H. M., & Burriss, R. P. (2017). Human colour in mate choice and competition. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 372(1724), 20160350.

[12]. Dubuc, C., Brent, L. J., Accamando, A. K., Gerald, M. S., MacLarnon, A., Semple, S., ... & Engelhardt, A. (2009). Sexual skin color contains information about the timing of the fertile phase in free-ranging Macaca mulatta. International Journal of Primatology, 30, 777–789.

[13]. Stephen, I. D., Law Smith, M. J., Stirrat, M. R., & Perrett, D. I. (2009). Facial skin coloration affects perceived health of human faces. International Journal of Primatology, 30, 845– 857.

[14]. Henderson AJ, Lasselin J, Lekander M, Olsson MJ, Powis SJ, Axelsson J, Perrett DJ. 2017 Skin colour changes during experimentally-induced sickness. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 60, 312–318.

[15]. Darwin C. (1872). The expression of the emotions in man and animals. London, UK: John Murray.

[16]. Benitez-Quiroz, C. F., Srinivasan, R., & Martinez, A. M. (2018). Facial color is an efficient mechanism to visually transmit emotion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(14), 3581–3586.

[17]. Bielert, C., Girolami, L., & Jowell, S. (1989). An experimental examination of the colour component in visually mediated sexual arousal of the male chacma baboon (Papio ursinus). Journal of Zoology, 219, 569–579.

[18]. Waitt, C., Gerald, M. S., Little, A. C., & Kraiselburd, E. (2006). Selective attention toward female secondary sexual color in male rhesus macaques. American Journal of Primatology, 68, 738–744.

[19]. Roberts, S. C., Owen, R. C., & Havlíček, J. (2010). Distinguishing between perceiver and wearer effects in clothing color-associated attributions. Evolutionary Psychology, 8(3), 147470491000800304.

[20]. Pazda, A. D., Elliot, A. J., & Greitemeyer, T. (2014). Perceived sexual receptivity and fashionableness: Separate paths linking red and black to perceived attractiveness. Color Research & Application, 39(2), 208–212.

[21]. Gage, J. (1999). Colour and Meaning: Art, Science, and Symbolism. Thames and Hudson, London, UK.

[22]. Elliot, A. J., & Maier, M. A. (2014). Color psychology: Effects of perceiving color on psychological functioning in humans. Annual Review of Psychology, 65(1), 95–120.

[23]. Chaudhary, S., Dutt, S., & Gupta, V. (2021). Colour symbolism across cultures: a dichotomy between German and Indian contexts. International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research, 6(5), 1545–1580.

[24]. Webster, R. (2006). Color magic for beginners: simple techniques to brighten and empower your life. Worldwide: Llewellyn, Minnesota.

[25]. Malloy, P. (2007). Celebrating the eucharist: a practical ceremonial guide for clergy and other liturgical ministers. New York: Church Publishing.

[26]. Harvey, J. (2015). The Story of Black. Reaktion Books, London, UK, 320 pp.

[27]. Hollander, A. (2016). Sex & Suits: The Evolution of Modern Dress, New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 176 pp.

[28]. Kramer, R. S., & Mulgrew, J. (2018). Displaying red and black on a first date: A field study using the “first dates” television series. Evolutionary Psychology, 16(2), 1474704918769417.

[29]. Gilchrest, B. A., Fitzpatrick, T. B., Anderson, R. R., & Parrish, J. A. (1977). Localization of melanin pigmentation in the skin with Wood's lamp. British Journal of Dermatology, 96(3), 245–248.

[30]. Tovée, M. J., & Cornelissen, P. L. (2001). Female and male perceptions of female physical attractiveness in front‐view and profile. British Journal of Psychology, 92(2), 391–402.

[31]. Ahmad, R., & Haque, M. (2022). Obesity: a doorway to a molecular path leading to infertility. Cureus, 14(10), e30770.

[32]. Niesta Kayser, D., Elliot, A. J., & Feltman, R. (2010). Red and romantic behavior in men viewing women. European Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 901–908

[33]. Meier, B. P., D’Agostino, P. R., Elliot, A. J., Maier, M. A., & Wilkowski, B. M. (2012). Color in context: Psychological context moderates the influence of red on approach and avoidance motivated behavior. PLoS ONE, 7, e40333.

[34]. Prokop, P., & Hromada, M. (2013). Women use red in order to attract mates. Ethology, 119(7), 605-613.

[35]. Pazda, A. D., Thorstenson, C. A., & Fetterman, A. K. (2023). Colorfulness influences perceptions of valence and arousal. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 153(1), 145–158.

[36]. Meier, B. P., Robinson, M. D., & Clore, G. L. (2004). Why good guys wear white: Automatic inferences about stimulus valence based on brightness. Psychological Science, 15, 82–87.

[37]. Frank, M. G. & Gilovich, T. (1988). The dark side of self and social perception: Black uniforms and aggression in professional sports. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 54, 74–85.

[38]. Tovée, M. J., Emery, J. L., & Cohen-Tovée, E. M. (2000). The estimation of body mass index and physical attractiveness is dependent on the observer’s own body mass index. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, 267(1456), 1987–1997.

[39]. Christensen, V. T. (2016). Influences of sex and BMI on the weight level perception of others. American Journal of Health Behavior, 40(5), 604–613.

[40]. Benny, A. M., & Verma, M. K. (2022). The significant difference in self-concept and self-confidence among obese and non-obese young adults. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(S1), 9009–9017.

[41]. Prokop, P. (2015). The putative son’s attractiveness alters the perceived attractiveness of the putative father. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44, 1713–1721.

[42]. Tracy, J. L., & Beall, A. T. (2014). The impact of weather on women’s tendency to wear red or pink when at high risk for conception. PLoS One, 9(2), e88852.

[43]. De Jager, S., Coetzee, N., & Coetzee, V. (2018). Facial adiposity, attractiveness, and health: A review. Frontiers in Psychology 9, 2562.

[44]. Etcoff, N. L., Stock, S., Haley, L. E., Vickery, S. A., & House, D.M. (2011). Cosmetics as a feature of the extended human phenotype: Modulation of the perception of biologically important facial signals. PLoS One, 6(10), e25656.

[45]. Graham, J. A. & Jouhar, A. J. (1981). The effects of cosmetics on person perception. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 3(5), 199–210.

[46]. Prokop, P. (2022). High heels enhance perceived sexual attractiveness, leg length and women’s mate-guarding. Current Psychology, 41(5), 3282–3292.

[47]. Prokop, P., & Švancárová, J. (2020). Wearing high heels as female mating strategy. Personality and Individual Differences, 152, 109558.

[48]. Tovée, M. J., Reinhardt, S., Emery, J. L., & Cornelissen, P. L. (1998). Optimum body-mass index and maximum sexual attractiveness. The Lancet, 352, 548.

[49]. Prokop, P., Dylewski, Ł., Woźna, J. T., & Tryjanowski, P. (2020). Cues of woman’s fertility predict prices for sex with prostitutes. Current Psychology, 39(3), 919–926.

[50]. Jokela, M., Elovainio, M., & Kivimäki, M. (2008). Lower fertility associated with obesity and underweight: the US National Longitudinal Survey of Youth1–3. Am J Clin Nutr, 88, 886–893.



21 Woodlands Close #02-10 Primz Bizhub Singapore 737854

Email:editorial_office@as-pub.com