Ms. Dhwani Mistry, Fashion Management Scholar, Department of Fashion Management Studies, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Ministry of Textiles, Govt of India, Daman Campus.
ABSTRACT
Color psychology plays a significant role in influencing consumer behaviour within the fashion industry, particularly in apparel purchasing decisions. This study aims to examine the role of color psychology in women while buying clothes for men, recognizing women as key decision-makers in menswear consumption. Adopting a theoretical qualitative research approach, the study reviews and synthesizes existing literature from peer-reviewed journals and scholarly sources related to color perception, emotional response, personality associations, and consumer behaviour. The findings reveal that clothing color strongly influences women’s attitudes toward menswear by shaping perceptions of attractiveness, personality traits, suitability for occasions, emotional appeal, and perceived confidence. Cultural meanings and symbolic interpretations of color, especially in the Indian context, further affect women’s evaluations and purchase preferences. Emotional responses to colors and beliefs related to confidence enhancement emerge as critical attitudinal drivers in purchase decisions. The study concludes that color functions as a strategic psychological tool in menswear marketing and retail, offering valuable insights for fashion brands, designers, and retailers to develop effective color-driven strategies aligned with women’s consumer behaviour.
INTRODUCTION
In contemporary fashion markets, consumer behaviour is increasingly influenced by psychological factors that extend beyond functional needs. Among these factors, color psychology plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions, emotions, and purchase decisions. Clothing color acts as a powerful non-verbal cue that communicates meanings related to attractiveness, personality, confidence, and social suitability. In the context of menswear, women often act as key decision-makers while purchasing clothes for men, whether as partners, family members, or gift buyers. Understanding how women perceive and evaluate clothing colors for men is therefore essential for fashion marketers and designers.
Previous research highlights that color significantly affects perceived attractiveness and purchase intention, as colors aligned with cultural preferences or emotional associations tend to enhance visual appeal. Studies have also established that clothing color influences judgments related to personality traits, such as confidence, sociability, and professionalism. These perceptions shape attitudes toward specific colors and guide consumer decision-making. Additionally, research on apparel suitability indicates that women often associate particular colors with appropriateness for specific occasions or individuals, further influencing buying behaviour.
Emotional responses triggered by colors have also been identified as a major determinant of consumer attitudes. Warm and bold hues may evoke excitement and energy, while neutral or darker tones may convey maturity and reliability. Such emotional liking towards certain colors strengthens favourable attitudes and positively impacts purchase behaviour. Moreover, the concept of enclothed cognition suggests that clothing colors can influence not only how others perceive the wearer but also how confident and competent the wearer appears, reinforcing women’s beliefs about the psychological impact of color choices on men.
Despite extensive research on color psychology and consumer behaviour, limited attention has been given to the female consumer perspective in menswear purchasing, particularly within the Indian context. This study seeks to bridge this gap by examining the role of color psychology in women while buying clothes for men, drawing upon established literature and behavioural theories. By analysing attitudes formed through beliefs related to attractiveness, personality enhancement, suitability, emotional liking, and confidence, the research aims to provide insights valuable to fashion brands, retailers, and marketers for developing effective color-driven strategies in menswear.
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
- To review literature related to understanding consumer behaviour of women while buying clothes for men.
- To theoretically analyse the reviews.
- To suggest an appropriate plan of action based on the above given topic.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This research follows a theoretical qualitative approach by reviewing papers in the relevant area. It synthesizes key findings from peer-reviewed journals and scholarly articles to build a conceptual framework. Data was thematically analysed to identify patterns, gaps, and implications for future studies in textile and fashion management. The review encompasses sources from recent publications, ensuring contemporary relevance to industry trends. Ethical considerations guided the selection, prioritizing open-access and credible publications.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Casas, M. C., & Chinoperekweyi, J. (2019). Color psychology and its influence on consumer buying behavior: A case of apparel products. Research on color psychology in consumer behavior shows that clothing color significantly affects how attractiveness is perceived. In apparel contexts, colors that align with cultural preferences or that evoke positive emotions increase perceived attractiveness and purchase intent, indicating that women’s beliefs about attractive colors may influence buying decisions for men’s clothing.
D J Radeloff (1990). Role of color in perception of attractiveness. Classic research indicates that recommended clothing colors significantly influence attractiveness judgments more than style or facial expression alone, suggesting that color choices carry meaningful social signals. This supports the idea that women’s beliefs about specific colors’ impact on male attractiveness may shape their attitudes when purchasing.
Grasheli Andhini (2023). Fashion psychology: Colour. Studies in fashion psychology assert that apparel and color choices can shape personality perceptions. Consumers associate certain hues with traits like confidence or sociability, meaning women may develop positive attitudes toward colors that they associate with desirable male personality attributes.
Singh, P. K., Kumari, A., Agrawal, S., Miri, S., & Choithramani, N. (2025). The role of colour in influencing consumer buying behaviour – An empirical study. Indian marketing research on color’s role in consumer behavior also suggests that colors evoke specific emotional and psychological meanings that influence judgments beyond aesthetics, implying that attitudes toward color in menswear are partly grounded in personality assumptions tied to color symbolism.
Qianling Jian, Li-Chieh Chen and Jie Zhang (2023). Perception and preference analysis of fashion colors: Solid color shirts. Research demonstrates that consumer perceptions of apparel suitability are linked to color preferences: certain colors are seen as better suited to particular contexts or individuals, reinforcing the idea that women’s perceptions of “suitable” colors for men influence their attitudes and potential purchases.
Rajain, P., & Rathee (2019). Role colour plays in influencing consumer behaviour. Indian studies on consumer behavior and color also show significant gender differences in color preferences and purchase decisions, indicating that perceptions of which colors are appropriate or suitable for men may vary and shape attitudes before buying.
Shivam Mandal, Dr. Amol J. Bhalerao (2025). Impact of Color Psychology on Clothing Brand Perception Among Generation Z Consumers. Literature on color in consumer psychology suggests that emotional responses to colors (e.g., warm hues evoking excitement) have a direct effect on attitudes toward clothing items. This implies that women’s emotional liking for certain male apparel colors may influence their purchase attitudes through affective response.
Dhruvita Aggarwal (2025). The Psychology of Color in Marketing, Business Branding, and Management Strategies. Indian research highlights how different colors in retail environments affect emotional reactions and consumer experiences, which supports the idea that emotional liking for color is an important attitudinal variable in apparel purchase contexts.
Arisa Jinnah (2025). The Psychological Influence of Fashion: How Clothing Affects Confidence, Perception, and Interaction With Others. Fashion psychology studies link clothing, including colors, with confidence and self-perception. The concept of “enclothed cognition” shows that what people wear influences their mental states, suggesting that women’s belief that certain colors make men look more confident is a meaningful attitudinal predictor in purchase contexts.
Tiwari, S. (2024). Relation of personality characteristics and color preferences in working females. Research on color preferences among working females in India links color choice with personality traits, indirectly supporting the idea that perceptions of confidence or competence associated with certain colors influence attitudes toward clothing choices.
INSIGHTS FROM LITERATURE REVIEW
The reviewed literature consistently highlights color as a critical psychological cue influencing consumer behaviour in the apparel sector. Studies indicate that clothing color significantly affects perceived attractiveness, often outweighing factors such as garment style or facial expression. This suggests that women’s attitudes toward menswear purchases are strongly shaped by beliefs about how certain colors enhance men’s visual appeal.
Research further reveals that colors are closely associated with personality traits, such as confidence, sociability, professionalism, and maturity. Women tend to develop favourable attitudes toward colors that symbolically communicate desirable male characteristics. Indian studies reinforce this by emphasizing the role of cultural meanings and symbolic interpretations of color, which influence how women evaluate appropriate color choices for men.
Another important insight is the role of perceived suitability. Women associate specific colors with particular occasions, contexts, and social settings, making suitability a key attitudinal determinant in menswear purchases. Emotional responses triggered by colors also emerge as a dominant influence. Warm and bold hues evoke excitement and energy, while neutral and darker shades convey reliability and authority, strengthening emotional liking and purchase inclination.
Finally, the concept of enclothed cognition provides a psychological foundation for the belief that clothing colors affect men’s confidence and self-presentation. Women’s perception that certain colors enhance confidence further reinforces positive attitudes and buying intentions. Overall, the literature underscores that women’s purchase decisions for men’s clothing are guided by a combination of attractiveness beliefs, personality associations, emotional responses, cultural norms, and confidence-related perceptions, establishing color psychology as a strategic tool in menswear marketing and retail.
FINDINGS
The findings derived from the reviewed literature indicate that color psychology plays a decisive role in shaping women’s attitudes while purchasing clothes for men. Clothing color emerges as a primary visual element influencing perceived attractiveness, often having a stronger impact than garment style or facial features. Women tend to prefer colors that they believe enhance men’s overall appearance and social appeal.
The literature further reveals that women associate specific colors with personality traits such as confidence, professionalism, maturity, and sociability. These associations contribute significantly to favourable attitudes toward certain colors in menswear. Cultural and symbolic meanings attached to colors, particularly within the Indian context, further influence women’s evaluations of appropriate color choices for men.
Additionally, perceived suitability of colors for different occasions is identified as a key determinant in purchase decisions. Emotional responses evoked by colors also strongly affect women’s buying behaviour, with warm and bold hues generating excitement and neutral or darker shades conveying reliability and authority. Finally, beliefs related to confidence enhancement, supported by the concept of enclothed cognition, reinforce women’s preference for colors that project confidence in men. Overall, the findings establish color as a strategic factor influencing women’s menswear purchase behaviour.
CONCLUSION
This study concludes that color psychology plays a vital role in influencing women’s consumer behaviour while purchasing clothes for men. The literature clearly indicates that clothing color significantly shapes women’s perceptions of attractiveness, personality, emotional appeal, suitability, and confidence in menswear. Cultural meanings and symbolic interpretations of color, particularly within the Indian context, further strengthen these perceptions and guide purchase decisions. Emotional responses and beliefs related to confidence enhancement emerge as key attitudinal drivers in women-led menswear purchases. Overall, the research establishes color as a strategic psychological element that fashion brands, designers, and retailers can effectively leverage to create targeted, culturally relevant, and emotionally appealing menswear offerings aligned with women’s preferences and buying behaviour.
REFERENCES
- Casas, M. C., & Chinoperekweyi, J. (2019). Color psychology and its influence on consumer buying behavior: A case of apparel products. Saudi Journal of Business and Management Studies.
- D J Radeloff (1990). Role of color in perception of attractiveness. (n.d.). PubMed.
- Grasheli Andhini (2023). Fashion psychology: Colour. BINUS University International Fashion Design.
- Singh, P. K., Kumari, A., Agrawal, S., Miri, S., & Choithramani, N. (2025). The role of colour in influencing consumer buying behaviour – An empirical study. Business, Management and Economics Engineering.
- Qianling Jian, Li-Chieh Chen and Jie Zhang (2023). Perception and preference analysis of fashion colors: Solid color shirts. (n.d.). Sustainability.
- Rajain, P., & Rathee (2019). Role colour plays in influencing consumer behaviour. International Research Journal of Business Studies.
- Shivam Mandal, Dr. Amol J. Bhalerao (2025). Impact of Color Psychology on Clothing Brand Perception Among Generation Z Consumers. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews.
- Dhruvita Aggarwal (2025). The Psychology of Color in Marketing, Business Branding, and Management Strategies. International Journal of Indian Psychology.
- Arisa Jinnah (2025). The Psychological Influence of Fashion: How Clothing Affects Confidence, Perception, and Interaction With Others. Trivium Academy. (n.d.).
- Tiwari, S. (2024). Relation of personality characteristics and color preferences in working females. The International Journal of Indian Psychology.
