Red is probably the most classy and timeless color. Red lipstick, red carpet, red wine. This color is ruling! But actually – what does red represent?
From all the colors people seem to know red’s meaning the most. As long as many of us might scratch our heads about yellow, purple, or orange, red and its symbolism seems easier to guess.
So let me ask you – what does red represent and why is it love? 🙂
Valentine’s Day, hearts, and all the cupids were put in our heads a long time ago. But do they give justice to the meaning of red? Let’s find out!
The Culture of Red – What Does Red Represent?
Do you also observe that today’s culture puts certain meanings to some colors and neglects others?
This way red is not such a mysterious color – we have a bunch of associations and pretty decent guesses about what it can mean.
I decided to take a cruise on this metaphorical Red Sea and dig deeper than the cupid’s culture ever dared before.
Well, what can go wrong? I can just drown in this magnificent color and hire it as my new favorite color. Sorry, pink.
Ok, did not happen – pink is still my fav. But! Red certainly deserves some attention.
What Does Red Represent?
The most common associations with red are:
- love and romance
- passion and desire
- anger and violence
- power
- sacrifice
Wow, wow, what a mix, isn’t it?
When you think of red, you think of strong words just like those above.
But obviously, there’s more than one shade of red – so let’s analyze the most popular ones to find out what meaning is their primary one.
Are you excited? Let’s burn this red fire!
Crimson
Crimson is a dark red with a sprinkle of brown – it appears in the autumn the most often, not only in nature but on coats and hats.
It is more gentle than vivid red and in this shade the answer to “What does red represent” is passion. Crimson can also mean power.
It has its depth and it is nicely pigmented so it does make us think of such a complex feeling as passion.
It is not as popular as vivid red but one can find flowers, dresses, and even lipstick in this color – this shade will suit the best autumn beauty type, but all the passionate lovers of this world can use this color righteously 🙂
Ruby
It is pretty similar to crimson (yup, some men would probably think they’re the same) but its meaning is different. In some palettes, ruby leans toward dark pink, but hey, I do not want to start the viral drama of color researchers.
Let’s just say – for me, Ruby is purely and entirely red. If it is pinkish for you… then let’s agree to disagree. 🙂
Ruby represents sacrifice and power.
Sometimes not the color itself carries the meaning, but the name of the shade helps him out. In this case, the gem – ruby – is royal and powerful, yet noble as a sacrifice too.
The shade of blood is close to ruby – these shades do give this vibe of sacrificial love, don’t they?
Scarlet
Wow, talk about a vibrant shade. Scarlet is brave and it symbolizes power. Any Scarlets out there? 🙂
Since it is on the edge of red and orange, scarlet is one of the shades that are the furthest from the meaning of love in the Red Army.
This color worn with confidence can make a wow effect.
Fire Engine Red
Well, some shades of red certainly sound serious and high, and others… sound cute.
Yay, let’s welcome our fire engine red! Many small boys love this shade – probably because of firetracks.
Since it is also the color of fire flames, it is easy to guess that the answer to “What does red represent” in this shade is – love and desire.
It is vivid, strong, and visible- when wearing a dress in this color, all glances are yours.
This red has so much warmth to it and it expresses the temperature of desire perfectly.
Chili
Chili is a little bit calmer than the previous shade, but such a name will lead the associations with this color in a different direction.
Now, I might surprise you.
The meaning of this shade varies – it focuses either on anger or on desire.
Ha! It’s like it cannot decide where it’s at.
Well, what can we do – for some people it will for sure mean desire and love, and others will claim it as a representation of anger.
I guess it depends if one is in a happy relationship or just went through a breakup. 😉
Rosso Corsa
You need to excuse me, but having a husband who loves cars, I needed to put this shade.
Yup, it is one of the colors Ferrari or Porsche goes in.
Very fancy indeed.
So of course, this shade means power and passion. Imagine the shiny paint in this color on a brand-new car and the wheels spinning. Yup, pure passion – not between people necessarily, but hey, a passion still.
Coral Red
Yup, there are more pastel shades among reds. They still look classy and fantastic, but their statement is not that stern.
Coral red can also mean love, in a less romantic but more general way – just like coral gives peace and home to Nemos, Dories, and other species that only my grandpa can name.
As long as more vibrant shades will expose winter beauty type the most, coral is the best friend of spring.
Gentle, light, and loving.
What Does Red Represent
We got to know the most popular shades and their primary meanings. Sure, there are many more: burgundy red and carmine one focusing on the meaning of sacrifice, Venetian Red leaning towards love and desire, and finally, Candy Apple Red filled with anger.
Red has many shades and I think we discovered love is not their only meaning.
Of course, red flowers will always mean love. Nobody is giving you flowers to say “I’m angry with you!” 😀
But there are certain objects that when in red have a specific cultural meaning.
For example:
What Does Red Represent In a Red Dress
I hope that every woman gets to wear a red dress at least once. This color of love and passion has a wide selection of shades so every beauty type will find something for itself.
The red dress is a symbol of desire and sexuality so if a lady wears it, she has this wow aura.
There are two kinds of red dresses for me – the ones that make a scene with the color and the confidence of the lady that’s wearing it and also there are ones that instead of covering the body nicely with such a lovely color, rather expose it.
I’ve talked about modesty before and I know not everybody will agree with me. But I just want to emphasize that there ARE red dresses for ladies who want to dress modestly. It is just a matter of the design.
Red Lipstick
Red lipstick symbolizes similar things that a red dress does. It is classic, feminine, and powerful.
It is timeless and retro.
Now, it is important to pick the shade according to your beauty type. If you are autumn, it is best if you pick the deeper shade of red.
I was using Maybelline Mat and I loved it. I do appreciate the applier but to be honest, it does not always last 16 hours. Especially when you eat as often as I do haha But other than that, I would recommend it to all autumns out there.
If you are winter, you can go into more vivid shade – the more contrast with your bright skin, the better. For example, Fire Engine Red will be perfect. Maybelline also has this one in their offer.
Summers and springs would need something way brighter. Since it is way harder to find such shades of lipsticks, I honestly did not have a chance to try any of them out. But, if you need hints of which red lipstick color will be perfect for you, make sure to check this post.
Red Army
I hope this article helped you understand the meaning of red and appreciate the beauty of shades of it.
Red is lovely and never out of fashion and I think it proved itself well.
It should be worn bravely and fearlessly. Do you agree? 🙂
