The Princess of Wales made a lasting impression in the solemn yet striking black attire she wore during the time of mourning, but she truly took our breath away on Tuesday when she appeared in Wales wearing bright red. Why was red Catherine’s color of choice, and why did it have such a significant effect?
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Princess Catherine’s extremely stylish outfits are painstakingly planned to evoke particular emotions, according to colour psychologist Tash Bradley and Director of Interior Design at Lick. “The royals are so carefully selective about what they wear,” they claim. Catherine’s polka-dot outfit and Princess Diana-like appearances exude fun. But “if a royal is wearing red, they are immediately commanding attention.”
“If I saw a royal in a red outfit, they were trying to stand out among the other royals,” Tash continued. She revealed the science behind it as follows: “Red is the first color in the color spectrum that we notice because it has the shortest wavelength when it reaches our eyes. Red is a stimulating color that has an impact on the body and physically energizes you.”
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Fascinatingly, anyone can use this dressing strategy. Tash said, “At a party, if there was someone in a red dress and someone in a black dress, your eye will be caught – it doesn’t matter who they are – to that dress.”
The color also had a symbolic meaning when Princess Catherine stood out from the crowd in Swansea during her recent appearance to promote the renovation of St. Thomas Church. The royal’s choice to wear red was undoubtedly also a nod to the Welsh flag’s red dragon.
All of this may be the reason Catherine is picky about when she dresses in red, and the royal may even use the color’s audacity to encourage her children to feel confident at public events.
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When Prince George attended his first European Championships competition in June 2021, Princess Catherine famously wore a striking red blazer from Zara to watch England play Germany. Prince George appeared young and timid at the time.
During the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend this summer, the Princess of Wales held Princess Charlotte firmly in her arms as they visited Cardiff Castle. Princess Catherine looked stunning in a fitted coat dress by Eponine London.
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The late Queen Elizabeth loved all the colors of the rainbow, but she made a memorable entrance in 2020’s COVID-19 pandemic wearing a bright red coat, hat, and scarf to publicly thank volunteers for their commitment.
So, Tash has the answer to your question about why the royals don’t make red their signature color for maximum impact. “Everything depends on the event they are attending. It would be very strange if they were opening a new children’s hospital and they wore red.”
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This may explain why the royals frequently don soft pink suits, Breton stripes, spots, and even all-white outfits. Although it is not always their intention, the royals appear to know instinctively that if they wear red, “they will stand out as the colour that you notice first within a room.”
