Vrig, Aldert. (1997). Wearing black clothes: The impact of offenders’ and suspects’ clothing on Impression Formation. Applied Cognitive Psychology

How do our clothes’ color impact a jury, a police officer, or even an observer in deciding if we are a threat? Do people judge you based on stereotypes or even the color of your clothes?

A UK psychology researcher conducted 2 studies: in the first, 90 participants watched a video of a man threatening a participant with a weapon. He wore black in some videos, and light-colored clothes in the other. In another study, 50 participants viewed a mugshot of a woman suspected of committing a crime. Half saw the woman wearing a light-colored shirt, while the other half saw her wearing black. Both groups then answered a questionnaire about the scenario.

Results? In study 1, participants reported that the man wearing black appeared more aggressive and upset them more than the man in light-colored clothes. In study 2, participants believed that the woman was more aggressive when wearing black and thought that she was guilty of the crime significantly more than those who viewed her in light-colored clothes.

Let’s be careful how we judge others depending upon their looks and clothes they wear. How are you judged by the color of your clothes?