Ovulating Women Wear Red Or Pink To Improve Chances Of Conception [Study]

Ovulating women often wear pink or red clothing to improve their chances of conception, scientists reported in a recent study published in Psychological Science and reported online by Dr. Justin Lehmiller.

The basis for the findings evolved from a series of studies that indicated heterosexual men found women in red to be more attractive than those wearing any other color.

(Gene Wilder even made a movie based on this concept in the 1980s.)

Based on these long held beliefs, the study theorized that ovulating women would more often report wearing pink or red clothing during this time of the menstrual cycle. Testing out the theory, the study identified 100 American women and 24 Canadian women and asked each to participate in an online survey.

The women were asked two key questions: what shirt are you currently wearing, and how long has it been since your last period?

According to the responses, 40 percent of the US women determined to be at their peak fertility time reported wearing either a pink or a red shirt compared to just seven percent of the group determined not to be at peak fertility.

On the Canadian side, 26 percent of ovulating women wore pink or red compared to just eight percent in the non-ovulation group.

Responding to the results, Lehmann wrote, “Although I would like to see these findings replicated in a larger sample … the results are at least consistent with a large body of research demonstrating that there are noticeable changes in women’s behavior when they are most fertile, and those changes may be reflected in the clothing women select from their closets.”

You can read the rest of Dr. Lehmann’s assessment here.

As for you sexually frustrated guys, here’s more reason why you may wish to turn on the charm during your girlfriend or wife’s ovulation period:

Of course, that’s just good news if your wife or girlfriend picked you based on “sexy” rather than “stable.”

In other news related to the menstrual cycle, a study in May indicated that more women are starting to use birth control options to manipulate their cycles. (How’s a guy to know anymore?)

As for the ovulating women in red/pink study, how about it, ladies? Do you notice yourself reaching for these colors more often during ovulation?

[Image via ShutterStock]