Fashion Blog: Psychology of Colours

As I sit in my study peering out at the leaf barren trees we sense that winter is still here with crisp fresh morning dew on the grass. The days are becoming longer and birds are tweeting just like us, only theirs is probably more intelligible. The human brain is an incredible organism that responds favourably to changes in colour intensity. Our psychological moods are usually dull and low in winter time with many people experiencing SAD Seasonal Affective Disorder, Gone is the dusting of snow and on comes weeks of floods despair, low cloud, and icy mornings.Take heart the London Fashion Week is upon us blasting our emotions and whetting our appetite for a brain detox. Louboutins on and skinnys in tow and off to the catwalk we go and allow the effects of electro- magnetic radiation of light and contrasting colours and hues to impact our mood states and emotions. What a brain tonic! Individuals often confuse colour psychology with colour symbolism which are the selective choices we make daily by conditioning processes. In Ireland the traditional colour is symbolic of the landscape lush green grass Atlantic winds lots of rain and sunshine. In Biblical times the striking robes of Royalty were rich purples and deep Royal blues bright reds and deep canary yellows. Cast your mind to Africa or Jamaica and you can see what I mean, vibrant extrovert personalities lots of dancing relaxed atmosphere and Rappers everywhere. I’m Red Green colour blind so could never become a airline pilot, but colour perception performs many functions including road safety among others. Colours define virtually who we are and what we expect others to see when they look at us. Do people really take in all the fine detail of the models in New York Milan Paris or London Fashion shows? Onlookers come to the fashion show with invariably different motives.Serious company reps with unlimited funds, fashion critics periodical journalists an so on. But one common denominator is the cut and the colour. The more geometrical the garments are with contrasting fabrics and rich colours, the brains hypothalamus is responding as it processes the colours you see and the range of scents you smell.

Its a complete thrill for our brain. to absorb the array of intense colours and matching accessories. Put away the antidepressants, who needs drugs when the gift of creation is all around us. Synchronize the loud music beats which resemble our human heartbeat and we become physiologically cortically aroused as the sense are sharpened and we intensify our focus.Our primitive instincts are switched onto overdrive as the models parade up and down l with shoulders pushed back and as straight as an Addis brush, and lack of smiles. Im constantly reminded of the ethics of these models or rather their agencies who portray them as the ideal type. How far from the truth. I wish fashion designers would listen to fashion psychologists and develop a more healthier model personae.Our NHS is fully stretched out and doesn’t need a generation of early and late teenagers with osteoporosis who are afraid to eat a normal healthy diet.Its time to get back to basics and lets enjoy fashion for whats its worth.