There’s a scientific reason why Donald Trump ties are always red.
Whether it’s his foreign business deals or his suiting accessory of choice, America can’t leave Donald Trump ties alone. If he’s not making speeches in his power tie, he’s parading in a bright red “Make America Great Again” baseball cap. As a Republican nominee, it makes sense that Trump wears this primary color in efforts to support the Republican Party. However, Trump’s red ties could also be a strategic way to gain votes with color psychology.
Red is the universal color of love, aggression, and power. Kate Smith, international color expert explains, “Red has more personal associations than any other color…and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element.” This is why it’s so easy to remember random red objects, like a Spanish bullfighter’s cape or England’s phone booths. Politicians can use this to their advantage in order to appear more dominant in campaigns and debates.
Moreover, scientific studies prove that sports teams wearing red are more likely to win over any other team color.
Russell Hill and Robert Barton, British anthropologists from the University of Durham, examined athletes during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics. These contestants competed in tae kwon doe, boxing, and wrestling in either red or blue clothing. As long as the opponents were equivalent in fitness and skill, the contestants wearing red won far more matches. While wearing red doesn’t mean an automatic victory, it does have an indirect effect on the way the brain reacts to this color competitively.
Could red Donald Trump ties be psyching out Clinton, and vice versa? We’ve already seen what happens when Trump isn’t donning his GOP necktie color. During the first Presidential debate, the candidates went head to head in controversially opposing party colors. Some claim Clinton’s scarlet-red Ralph Lauren pantsuit could’ve played a role in Trump’s unusually less aggressive performance.
CNN sarcastically tweeted, “Trump had a lot to say on #DebateNight”.
“You’re wrong, you’re wrong.” Trump had a lot to say on #DebateNight, a lot of it while Clinton was speaking https://t.co/N3YKsiUDcy pic.twitter.com/UqhgeKrlmX
— CNN (@CNN) September 27, 2016
While wearing blue ties isn’t completely obsolete from Trump’s wardrobe, it hasn’t really benefited him on his first debate night. Political leaders and businessmen opt for blue when they want to appear intelligent and creative. Whether or not he actually appeared more intelligent is up for debate.
Likewise, even the way Trump styles his suit jacket lends to the idea that he wants his ties noticed. Social media slammed Trump for wearing his suit jacket unbuttoned during the debates. Then, rumors spread claiming his bulletproof vest is the reason why he never closes his jackets. Some say he’s purposely sporting a fashion faux pas in order to “look the part”. While these are all plausible theories, it’s obvious that he just wants you to notice his big, fat, red tie.
