Why do designers wear black?
My friend Lars, a software engineer, only wears black. One day I was rummaging through his bookshelf and found a copy of Why Do Architects Wear Black? by Cordula Rau, a compilation of quotes from architects on their choice of wardrobe colors, black or otherwise. This seems to extend to designers and innovators; Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, would only ever present on stage wearing his iconic black turtleneck. This inspired Elisabeth Holmes, disgraced founder of failed technology company Theranos to do the same. Certainly my home city of Berlin is known for both its creative scene and wardrobes full of identical black T-shirts.
Over the years I’ve tried introducing other colors into my closet. A red dress, a blue jacket. Despite my honest efforts, they seem to remain unworn.
So why do designers wear black? Are we minimalists, purists, or perhaps simply unimaginative? I’ve asked a few of my fellow designers.
Malcolm Bunge
Design Director, Berlin
That is a very good question! I just recently talked with my wife about it, who also wears black all the time. For me it has 2 reasons:
I suck at fashion. I have absolutely no idea what I should wear without either looking like somebody who doesn’t understand fashion (which I don’t) or somebody who tries too hard to look fashionable. Black is just the best thing you can wear and nobody will question my fashion choice!
I spend 20 seconds a day thinking about what to wear. 10 of these 20 seconds are opening the door of my wardrobe or drawer and the other 10 seconds involve being proud of myself for optimizing my time!
Elina Frolova
Senior Digital Designer, Copenhagen
I try to avoid black because in my opinion it just does not reflect my personality. I think black is very classy, and I really like on how professional, confident it looks on other people, and fits with absolutely every combination. I believe there is something 'Steve Jobs' about it, everyone can instantly recognise black turtleneck as a top look for designers. Also it is very practical, designers don't need to think what to wear as they can wear same clothes from previous day and still look great, but instead they can just focus on work.
But for me, I feel best in colours and patterns just because I have studied interior design and colour psychology and I can feel how an environment you are in and clothes you wear can affect your mood and emotions. So you will find me with a most colourful sneakers and in winter I will wear the most patterned clothes to bring some sunshine to the streets in the pull of grey weather and tired people.
Tomasz Skoczylas
User Interface Designer, Wroclaw
Roughly 90% of my closet is clothing in black. Wearing black makes me feel anonymous and uniform. I think you should use colours wisely, as they have the power to stand out. Not wearing them gives me space to draw attention to what I want. Only when I feel like it. Be it my opinions, my work, my views, my designs.
Tim Walker
Global Design Lead, Newcastle Upon Tyne
I actually don’t wear much black, but I’m always conscious of how better dressed my other design colleagues are and I look like I’ve dressed myself in the dark.
Dimitris Kritsilis
Experience Design Director, Berlin
I don’t know if it’s a designer thing or a Dimi thing. I don’t negate color (my wardrobe has plenty of it), but I do enjoy the way black defuses self consciousness. It registers well, takes little effort, and feels smart. Not a thought spent on whether the combo I chose works. Bonus small perks: being the visual break in a team room full of light-blue-shirt wearing consultants, not having to worry about anxiety-sweat mishaps, and feel just as well dressed for an impromptu after-work function.
Teal Bauer
Strategic Innovation & Second Opinions — Digital Ventures Consultant, Berlin
I've seen the tips to stick to one outfit, or one color, to make one's life easier and reduce the amount of choices that must be made to free up mental capacity for something more "productive" or other, but truth is: I like making choices. I like color. I've stopped worrying whether other people like my "bold" color combinations, because for me, what's important is that *I* enjoy how I live my life. Even if - sometimes - that means dressing full black.
Omar Abdel-moaty
Associate Director, Experience Design, Berlin
I don't typically wear black. Most of my clothes are in beige or shades of brown. I'm a brown guy, I think brown and earth tones, in general, match my skin quite well. elegant but not too flashy. I think the reason why black is a stereotypical color for designers is that it's most likely true! for 2 reasons.
Many designers facilitate workshops as part of their day-to-day job. Black is traditionally the theater performance color of choice.
Creative people by nature are very open, and designers are also on average solution-oriented. The funny thing is if you compare Art with Design, Art is less solution-oriented than Design, perhaps this is why more artists wear very colorful clothes full of patterns, inspired by “hippie” culture, and designers might wear black, inspired by “hipster” culture.
I like to experiment. Clothes and hair colors are part of this. Finding new combinations, failing, trying again. That’s part of my job. You can only improve, when you explore.
Do I wear black? Yes. Few years ago I was totally into Korean clothes. I was wearing a lot of black. Nowadays I like light color, turquoise as well as maroon the most.
For winter cycling I recently bought a complete black dress. Here it’s still hard to find anything looking good besides black. But it’s getting warmer. I’ll be able to wear colors soon.
So there you have it: For those of us who typically wear black, we’re one part practical and one part fashionable. Unsurprisingly, this stereotype extends to only part of us, and many designers like to be more colorful with their wardrobes. When I think about my own fashion choices, I can’t deny that as far as my closet is concerned, black is simply simpler - everything goes with everything else - but I love to experiment with fabrics, patterns and interesting cuts. Who knows, perhaps you’ll see some of us in Vantablack next! #fashiongoals