Colors by Gender

People associate gender by colors. Aren’t baby girls brought home in pink blankets while baby boys are wrapped in blue ones? Yes, there are no specific rules about what colors are feminine and masculine. Studies have been conducted over the past 70 years that draw some generalizations. Let’s take a look at what one study says about color and gender.

Joe Hallock conducted a study in 2003 in which he compared color preferences among various demographics from 22 countries. 57% of the men said blue was their favorite color, while 35% of the women said it was their favorite.  Why is blue so popular? Blue is associated with clean water, clear skies, authority, truth, and tranquility – making it a favorite among all age groups and genders.

What was interesting in this study is that 0% of men listed purple as their favorite color while 23% of female respondents chose it as their favorite. This was the most notable gender difference in color preference.

The least favorite color for men at 27% was brown. The least favorite color for women was orange with 33% disliking this color. In this study, male and female participants disliked many of the same colors. Interestingly, the least favorite colors were very similar to the colors the participants considered cheap or inexpensive.

Do you have a favorite color? What is it?