The impact of clothing colour on skin tone perception and consumer preference

Abstract Fair skin tones have been highly valued in Asia for centuries. Common methods such as applying skin fairness products and altering clothing ensembles to change skin tone perception are universal. However, there has been limited research on the effect of clothing colour on skin tone perception. In the current study, a real observation scenario was constructed and 22 plain‐coloured sweatshirts in various hues, saturation and lightness were used to investigate the impact of clothing colour on facial skin fairness perception. In addition, clothing colour preference for young Chinese consumers was also explored. According to our results, clothing with lower lightness enhanced the appearance of fairer skin tones. Furthermore, participants showed a greater preference for clothing with low colourfulness and a blue tint. The results also indicated gender similarity in facial fairness perception but differences in clothing colour preference. Our experimental data were utilised to develop two models for predicting facial fairness perception and clothing colour preference. The prediction models may serve as an auxiliary tool for apparel designers and manufacturers, facilitating the provision of colour selection references tailored to consumers' skin tone characteristics and colour preferences.