Matches has reported an increase in searches for red evening dresses by 23% year on year, while Clearplay insights reveal a 166% and 71% increase in sales of red boots and cherry bags respectively. So why are red dresses heating up our wardrobes all of a sudden?

Interestingly, the rise in this fervent colour has occurred at a moment when hot pink and tonal neutrals have previously been dominating the streets. “This uptake in red items could signify that shoppers are looking for subtle ways to inject some excitement into their wardrobe this fall in a way that can easily be incorporated with their beige, ‘quiet luxury’ pieces from last year,” says Shakaila Forbes-Bell, fashion psychologist at Clearpay and bestselling author of Big Dress Energy.

This could be due to something called ecological valence theory, she says, which suggests that certain colours have the ability to evoke different emotions within us.

“Red is always associated with fire, and in turn, it makes us feel energetic and aroused,” says Forbes-Bell. “Barbiecore pink evokes similar playful and extroverted emotions, which explains why energy-inducing red is the next natural successor as the colour of the moment.”

Here’s why red dresses are the new LBD