There’s nothing like being hungry on a 12-hour road trip and seeing those golden arches approaching in the distance. McDonalds uses the giant bright M to grab the attention of passersby. The color they chose for those arches was not by chance. You too, should be precise when choosing colors for your clothing brand.
The Meaning of Color
Color psychology explains how colors affect perceptions and behaviors in humans. You’ll want to pick colors for your clothing designs and fashion brand aesthetic that evoke the emotions you want your customers to feel. Here's a list of colors and what they convey that you can use to guide you in choosing the right color palette for each season of and piece in your brand:
- Red represents passion, love, and power but can be associated with violence, danger, and anger. It attracts more attention than any other color.
- Yellow brings happiness, feels youthful, and inspires positivity.
- Orange is associated with joy, creativity, confidence, and enthusiasm.
- Green is refreshing, calming, and peaceful. It’s commonly associated with growth and money.
- Blue is also a peaceful color. Its physical effects can put us in a relaxing state. It's said that blue can lower heart rates, blood, pressure, and body temperature.
- Pink is a color that typically attracts women. It represents youth, playfulness, and good health.
- Black is classy, elegant, and can be seen as prestigious.
- White is modern, elegant, formal, and represents purity. It can also be worn for religious practices and special occasions.
Reflect on the meaning of these colors when choosing your collection colorways or fashion brand colors. You're designing luxury dresses for the holiday season? Blacks, whites, deep shades of green, and red for a statement piece would suit your designs and the feelings they’ll bring. You want your customers to feel the holiday spirit, so choosing a bright orange for a winter holiday dress would feel emotionally off putting.
How Do You Want Your Customers To Feel?
Ultimately, how your customer feels will decide whether or not they purchase your clothing. Designers should keep these two questions in mind before selecting colors for their brand and designs.
What Do I Want My Customers To Feel When They See My Brand?
Say you’re selling loungewear – you wouldn't want your brand/logo or designs to be bright red or orange. Go for a cooler color, such as blue or green as these colors are calming and peaceful. However, if you are selling swimwear, clothing only worn in summer, go for a warmer color. Pink or yellow would be a more suitable color for branding this specific set of clothing
How Do I Want My Customers To Feel While Wearing My Clothes?
Do I want my clothing to bring happiness, comfort, or elegance? Ask yourself these questions when choosing the materials for your designs. Also think about them in terms of color psychology. Knowing the psychology of a color will enable you to use the colors of their clothing in a way that influences the feeling of the customers wearing your clothing.
Colors will help you connect with your consumer on a psychological level and create an identity for your brand. Understanding how colors affect humans and our brains will lead you to making the best choice for both your brand overall and for the individual designs you produce. Even big brands know to pick their color palette and stay consistent. This helps lead to customer recognition and benefits your business's growth.
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