With summer around the corner, results of the Dove Colour Confidence Poll reveal that by embracing red, hot pink and purple clothing, we can all give our confidence levels a little boost. Red topped the poll with 16% of women associating it with confidence above all other spectrum colours.
The results also show the positive effects colour can have on women, with nearly half (40%) saying they receive more compliments when wearing colour compared to black or white. Dove Invisible Dry partners with fashion designer Olivia Rubin to encourage women to ditch the trusty blacks and greys and inject more colour into their wardrobes.
Yet, half of UK women (48%) wear just two colours a day, with a third sticking to black, grey or dark clothing every single day (33%). 51% of women choose black as their colour of choice for interviews, and it also topped the poll as the colour preference for dates. When asked why, 30% of women admit black clothing is a way for them to hide or not draw attention to themselves. The poll was commissioned to celebrate a new campaign for Dove Invisible Dry deodorant, now proven to leave no white marks on a remarkable 100 colours. In response, the Dove Colour Challenge has been launched with the aim of boosting women’s colour confidence by encouraging them to embrace more colour in their everyday clothing.
The top five colours women most associate with confidence are revealed as:
1. Red
2. Hot pink
3. Purple
4. Black
5. Blue
Interestingly, soft pink was perceived as the most caring colour, but the least associated with confidence. Partnering with fashion designer Olivia Rubin throughout the month of June on dove.com/colourconfidence, women can upload photos of themselves being colour confident for the chance to win a bespoke capsule collection exclusively created by the designer for Dove.
As part of the Dove Colour Challenge, Dove has also partnered with colour psychology expert Karen Haller to give one-to-one colour consultations to the winners, where she will diagnose the colours that will boost their confidence levels and bring out the best in their personalities.
Commenting on the research findings, Karen says “The results show that women in the UK are shying away from wearing colour because they often lack the confidence to do so. But wearing the right colour can often play a role in giving women a confidence injection. The Dove Colour Challenge is all about encouraging women to add a little more colour into their wardrobe and break away from the safety of blacks, greys and neutrals.”
Olivia Rubin’s top tips on embracing colour:
“Colour need not just be about the brights. Dig out the candy floss pink, sky blue, mint green and pale lilac and wear with winter greys or black opaque tights for a touch of spring all year round. Pastel colours are a great way of injecting some colour confidence into your clothes without going outside your comfort zone.”
“Head to toe colour was big news for AW14. Intense oranges and strong reds hues were worn for a truly bold statement. If this riot of colour is one step too far then opt for one statement coloured piece amongst a more neutral outfit. This will still give a pop of colour, in a more subtle way.”
“Don’t be afraid of wearing more than one colour. The choice of colours can make women anxious. The obvious option is to wear colour with black or white. Dare to be different and team stronger tones with a more muted palette for example a fuchsia pink with a dark blue and a soft grey.”
Commenting on her role in the Dove Colour Challenge, designer Olivia Rubin says: “Colour is so important for me. I have built my label upon relying on the use of colour and print within all the textiles I design. Whether it be a combination of pastel hues, fluorescent tones or more subtle nudes, there is no reason for UK women to shy away from colour. I want my Capsule Collections to have a range of flattering yet feminine colourful silhouettes, and encourage women everywhere to enter!”
The Dove Colour Challenge celebrates Dove Invisible Dry deodorant, a range of deodorants proven to leave no marks on 100 colours. Dove Invisible Dry liberates your wardrobe so that you can wear those beautifully bright colours only reserved for special occasions every day.
