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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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