What Does the Black & Red Say About Wellesley?

Ever wonder what your favorite color says about you? How about the school colors? 

The Wellesley Raiders will take on their Needham Rivals for the 125th anniversary game on Thursday, and they will be sporting Red and Black. If you're turning out for the 10 a.m. game in Needham, what do you think the uniforms will evoke on the field?

According to Kate Smith, a color expert with Sensational Color Pro, colors can say a lot about a person, product, or company. Using Smith's pyschology of colors theory, Patch applies it to the city's choice of colors for the high school, youth sports and, well, just about everything!

Wellesley: Black and Red

Red–The color is considered a stimulant, and has a range of associations from good fortune to love. Smith says it can increase blood pressure, confidence, and enthusiasm.

"Red draws attention," Smith writes, "and a keen use of red as an accent can immediately focus attention on a particular element." While exciting, it is also attractive in nature, and can provide a sense of protection from anxiety.

Of course, there is another team in Massachusetts which features red on their uniform.

Black – On the other hand, black is "authoritative and powerful," says Smith. It always evokes strong emotions, partly because the lack of color represents a void or emptiness.

The color black can make us feel "inconspicuous" and also represent both "potential and possibility." In other cultures, black has several meanings: Chinese believe black is associated with water, north and winter; it is also the universal symbol for mourning. But it's not all doom and gloom with black. It also represents "sophistication and power."

The conclusion: Sophisticated and powerful, but with something worth drawing attention to. There are key elements of the town that we want to highlight, although as a whole there's a lot of potential. 

What do you think, Wellesley? Do our city's colors really show our true colors? Tell us in the comments! 

See more about color symbolism and the psychology of color here.