AWoman interested in attracting a man would be well advised to wear red - and the more red the better.

A series of studies by researchers at the University of Rochester has revealed that men are far more attracted to women in red clothing or surrounded by red accessories than females who sport other colours. What's more, men seem to be especially generous to the lady in red - and are more willing to open up their wallets to dine with her. To measure the amorous effects of red, the researchers gauged men's responses to pictures of women under different colour conditions.

In one experiment, the pictures were framed by a border that was either red, white, grey or green. In other tests, the researchers digitally altered the photo so that the same woman was wearing either a red or a blue shirt.

"The women shown framed by or wearing red were rated significantly more attractive and sexually desirable by men than the exact same women shown with other colours," the researchers concluded in their study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

Psychology professor Andrew Elliot, who led the research, noted that throughout history many cultures have linked sex with the colour red, ranging from ancient peoples who used ochre body paints on fertile females to modern-day "red-light" districts. But Dr. Elliot speculated that men's response to red may also have deep biological roots that go beyond a learned cultural response.

It could take more than a red dress to win over a reluctant male. Red did not change the way men rated the women in terms of likeability, intelligence or kindness - but their physical attractiveness.

Courtesy-Globe mail