CEBU, Philippines — Black has always worked well on men. On one side, it projects toughness. On the other side, sophistication.
It’s a fact that a man in black suit looks dapper. It’s hard to explain, but such a man just comes across as stable and sensible. Perhaps part of the impression is because black is such a solid color.
The sophistication of black works on both men and women, albeit differently on men and on women. It’s very feminine on women, and very masculine on men – quite a curious thing how one shade can work equally and differently at the same time.
But it’s somewhat exclusive to men that black can also make them look tough. Hollywood may have something to do with it. The movies mostly portray underworld personalities in dark outfits.
Black symbolizing toughness – even evil – spills over to the real world. But such toughness only adds to the personal appeal of real-world men. Women are attracted to that sense of toughness; they see it as the men’s capability to protect them.