Life is colorful, so why not fill your world with different shades as you live your life day to day. Wear different colored dress shirts as you hop from one occasion to the other. Most people do this already, without really knowing why; most likely for the simple reason that colors bring life and life defines who you are. But, how about life without color? Or color without life? What would that look like? The answer is black.
If you’re currently taking anti-depressants or if your girlfriend just left you for your best friend, this might not be the best article for you to be reading right now. But even if you’re in a relatively healthy state of mind, imagine yourself sitting in an all-black room, what would you feel? Adjectives like eerie, lifeless, lonely, satanic, nihilistic would probably pop into your mind pretty quickly.
But flipping the coin into the topic of fashion, you’ll see that black has a different story. Many artists – clothing designers included – consider black as the absence of color. Indeed, black is not a color, but a neutral medium (even Goethe and Newton disagreed famously on this point).
Many fashion mavens view black as one of the most popular shades in fashion because of its versatility. Except for a few shades of brown, there’s never any accessory or clothing item that doesn’t look good paired with black. Just like classic white button fronts, the black shirt is considered one of those indispensable clothing pieces every man should have in his closet. Black is timeless and never goes out of style.
As far as what people will think of a man in black, usually this medium evokes authority and masculinity. Be careful wearing it on a first date though, because it also projects a certain aura of emotional distance and deceitfulness (hence the reason why it’s such a favorite among movie villains) and the woman you’re meeting may mistake you for one of those guys who wears too much cologne and spends too much time primping his hair.
If you’re among friends and people you know well though, black can project neatness and a look of both flexibility and simplicity with a touch of sophistication. Also, as every lady knows, black trims down flaws and imperfections by creating a sliming effect on your double layered-tummy. It’s also great at hiding dirt, stains and wrinkles (not that we think you’re a slob or anything).
As a final piece of advice, as with most colors, never wear black dress shirts everyday, no matter how much you enjoy them. If people never see you in anything else, they may think you purchase them just to save on laundry soap, or spend way too much time reading Kierkegaard and Nietzsche.
Tags: Advice, Black Shirt, Psychology, Shirt Color, What Your Shirt Color Says About You
