Progressive Review Yes, your bum does look smaller when you dress in black, at least if viewed from behind. The reason is that we can only perceive shapes if what we see appears in different shades or colors. If one wore white trousers the shape of your behind could be inferred from the slight shadows cast by its contour. In black clothing, the shadows are invisible and the shape appears flat. This is the reason why people with dark skin often seem to age well compared to pale-skinned people. Wrinkles and lines, which are visible mainly by virtue of the fact that they create shadows, are harder to detect on darker skin.