A Study on the Effects of Wearing of a Black Dress and Accessories on Image Perception

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in image perception, and to investigate the differences in age and income inferences according to the wearing of accessories with black dress.A quasi-experimental method was used for this study.The experimental design was a 2×3×3(necklace×earrings×corsage) factorial design.The subjects were 610 female college students residing in Seoul.The model in the stimulus photographs was a woman with straight long hair.She wore a black one-piece dress with round neckline and short sleeves.The findings indicated that the wearing of a necklace enhanced individuality, attractiveness, and cuteness in women.Professionalism and individuality were heightened when she wore an earring.The red corsage enhanced individuality, but it had a negative effect in professionalism.As for the effect on interaction, attractiveness was more highly perceived when both necklace and large earrings were worn without a corsage.The absence of both necklace and earrings led to a low perception of professionalism, attractiveness, and individuality.The wearing of a necklace was more strongly linked to older age and high income than not wearing it, and it was perceived as more youthful if earrings were not worn.As for interactions, the wearing of small earrings and a red corsage was linked to the oldest age.