Red alert: Lady in a red dress ignites the imagination

No matter how many we encounter, there is just something about a lady in a red dress that ignites the imagination. Perhaps it’s the pure romance or the memories of salty, sunkissed lusty dream or simply the magic of that moment when a goddess struts down in a powerful scarlet number. And creative gurus feel it’s the colour of revolution and of blood.

“There is a powerful emblematic message to wearing a red dress,” says designer Gautam Gupta, adding, “It is ambiguous, yet universal. This colour family is symbolic of power and wealth as we all know and it has several social connotations too. In Hebrew, its etymology is the same as the word ‘Adam’ and in ancient Aztec it means simply ‘colour’. Now if we look further back in history and trace the evolution of mankind, we would quickly notice that the hue was also one of the first pigments to have been used in art, by cavemen grinding ochre, vermilion and cinnabar for their daubs. So in that sense, red is man’s first shade, both in visuals and vernacular landscape. Perhaps that’s why we find it so prominently appealing to our collective conscious and get enveloped in emotions and abstracts when we see it.”

Beside the social nuances, designer Sheena Aggarwal shares that red has a powerful quality to enhance the confidence of the person wearing it. “It is the ultimate cure for sadness. Fiery red is a mood elevator. It can boost confidence and make you feel more in control. Far from tapping into its connotations of anger or blind lust, I have celebrated it as a mood-lifter, a heightened state of emotion, clinically proven to enhance our ability to take in detail. There have been several researches and surveys on the colour and some of them even suggest that sports judges award more points to players in red; women who wear red dresses on their first dates are more likely to still be in that relationship; plus, if you’re wearing red as a singleton, you’re more likely to get that date in the first place. For the full effect, opt for a frock in true red, dresses with textural details like ruffles, pleats and velvet panels add interest to the monochromatic look without taking away from the hue’s brilliance. Beware of clashing your accessories, though.”

Go with bluer reds if your complexion is fair; spicier orange-reds will flatter darker skin, suggests designer Shruti Nijhawan, founder of SoShru. She adds, “Whatever you choose, keep your hairdo sleek and lips neutral. Red lips would be too matchy but no one is stopping you if you want to go all the way. But if you are hesitant then step out in black or nude shoes.” On the other hand, designer Sheena Agarwaal of Agashe suggests, “Instead of pairing red with the usual black, break the monotony by pairing it with hot pink or even with blue/green. Using analogous or complementary colour pairing always makes an outfit more interesting. This is the colour block trend which is in vogue.”