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The Psychology Of Color

By Dr. Alycia Ellison

Part Three
Subscribers can read Part One | Part Two | Part Three

Now let us consider the innocence of youth regardless of gender, for this brings to mind, the color white, which is a reflection of all colors or one could say the absence of color. It cannot by it self be influenced by any outside source. Dignity, a strong sense of purpose, ethereal in nature, this is white. Consider the baptismal gown of the babe, the confirmation gown of the young lady joining the church, the bride in all her innocence but above all the angel exhibits the godly character of this color. It alone has the power to diffuse energy or tone down any emotion reflected by any primary color as it hides nothing and diffuses emotions. It signifies purity of thought, wisdom and experience with nothing to hide. In many ways it can be considered a good camouflage as the savior of mankind or virgin girls, The supreme protector, the man in the white hat, or Sir Lancelot riding his white horse to save the princess in distress. Thus when used appropriately such as mixed with red, it becomes a gentle pink and one thinks now of gentleness and quality, no longer hard edged or angry exposing a new freshness and a zest for life. The other non-color is black, it is like night for nothing is perceived through it It is the essence of mystery, evil and destruction. It absorbs all available color, reflecting none. Thus, black imparts a mysterious quality to those who wear it and when diluted by white making shades of grey, it tends to make the wearer a non-entity, a shadowy figure and one who wants to stay in the background. In men, as stated, it signifies power, competency, aggressiveness and seriousness of purpose. In women, it denotes prestige, wealth and culture as epitomized by the black cocktail dress or basic black dress ,which universally is always in style. It signifies warmth and intimacy and a mysterious come hither air and intrigue as noted also by the passionate effects of black lingerie as well as power and cruelty as epitomized by the man who wears a black hat. In western culture , it also depicts sadness and grief when worn to funerals or times of morning as it is self absorbing. In the case of the crossdresser , the effects of color and style are obvious is one intends to pass in the female world. It is an obvious fact that it is to his advantage having a knowledgeable and helpful spouse or girl friend to aid in this transition. The average male crossdressed is initially at a loss when it comes to wearing or coordinating appropriate colors or style. For alone, he is forced to depend heavily on advice he receives from magazines, or acquaintances who are familiar with his crossdressing. If he is in a support group, he is likely to listen to advice given at the meeting and then apply it to his particular needs. Generally this is not the place as the participants are mostly men who have struggled with their own sense of style and generally advice given by women asked to speak, again, draw from their own background or current fashion. To be adequate for passage in the public domain, biological women are generally more knowledgeable about the nuances of size, shape, color and style and should be consulted. Most crossdressers dress in styles more representative to their growing up years and are often more flamboyant in their selections without regard to proportion or appropriateness. Without their mates or girl friend's intervention they may be easily recognized as men dressed as women. Fair or not, a person's first judgement of another person is an emotional and an aesthetic one. This I believe, is where most crossdressers begin to experience problems. They envision what they like as men and then try to emulate it. To get a handle on this belief, I asked several male friends on their ideas of what they found attractive on woman, or what they would like their girl friend or mate to wear. Some of the replies were astonishing. Most of them were baffled and had no idea of clothing style, or fabric, and they often liked their women to be sensual or sexy looking in order to enhance their image. Many professional men, when asked, envisioned women wearing dramatic or sheer see through blouses with tight skirts and very sheer stockings They preferred them to be fashionably dressed, as if they were a showplace. Very few responded with pantsuits or skirts and sweaters or blouses. At a local crossdressing meeting, many wore long dresses with slits up the side or low cut cocktail dresses with fishnet stockings conveying sexy or sensual feelings that they held from their male image, mini skirts and see through blouses. Others wore dated clothing appropriate to the 1950 and 60 era. OccasionaIing seen in public I was amazed at what they wore. Generally, appearing as if they were going to church or as sunday school teachers. Similarly, others were often noted with more provocative daytime feminine clothing. Even in todays society with the trend toward unisex clothing, 'passing' in our society is very difficult. Women note with uncertainty any ambiguity of someone walking down the street, especially in this day and time of longhaired males and woman in ostensibly male clothing. With this in mind, you should consider some options before attempting to pass in the public eye. First, It is of utmost importance to become aware of the messages you give off. You are constantly sending signals - some conscious - some unconscious about you. For instance, when you're speaking to someone, you are being perceived not only by what you say, but also how you say it. You are evaluated by the way you look, the way you are dressed, your mannerisms, gestures and posture. In general, people will assume that you are a woman, if you appear in feminine apparel and are not ambiguous in your gender presentation. You need to pass from neck down, with your proportions needing to be as female as possible as most men have broad shoulders, thicker waists and narrow hips. In many instances, color, cut and fabric will go a long way to alleviate the problem of passing as long as it is appropriate to the occasion. Wrap around skirts and loose blouses hide a multiple of sins. Color, is vitally important and co-ordination of tops or blouses and skirts as well as shoes and accessories play a dynamic role in the presentation of the total picture. This area cries for a real women's touch for the typical male color scheme revolves around generally solid colors, such as black, blue, grey or brown slacks, combined with a solid or striped blue, white or shirts. without accessories except the occasional tie. Women's colors are more feminine in their rendition of shades or in contrasting brighter colors depending on the season of the year. Most outfit are accessorized and color balanced, as shoes, purse, and jewelry are coordinated for total effect. When putting together an outfit, it partially depends on the time of the year and perhaps the phase of the moon. Colors can add spring to your step for the right clothes say you are comfortable with yourself allowing you to pass with ease,as people are psychologically influenced by your total presentation. In this regard, with the use of feminine colors, many crossdressers experience increased extroversion, femininity and self confidence. They also may appear capable of maintaining feminine sensitivity over a longer period of time. Clothing,however, may be necessary for trait expression and internalization of these new personality traits into his psyche. Crossdressers often have difficulty in expression of these traits on their own, without the aid of clothes. Crossdressing serves to amplify those feminine traits that are suppressed by social male barriers. Many crossdressers, for whatever reason, cannot express their feminine behavior without the aid of feminine clothing, and their feminine behavior is facilitated by the use of bright colors allowing them to step out of their masculine role. While in their feminine persona, they then will frequently express exclusively feminine traits and leave their masculine traits behind. For More Information on Color and Style Visit the How To Section of the Main Library
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