Do you feel more powerful when putting on business formal clothing? Do you exercise harder in the gym every time you wear that pair of high quality stretchy leggings? Do you feel smarter when walking through the hospital in your white uniform? Do you feel more confident when strolling down the street with an expensive designer bag? Do you feel more cheerful when you wear that soft dress with floral print during the summer season? Do you feel motivated to lose weight in order to wear that gorgeous pair of jeans you just saw in the window shop? There is just one explanation for all these situations: fashion psychology. More specifically, clothes have the power to change your mood, not just enhance your physical appearance. People have different perspectives on their dressing habits; some of them see it as a way to express their emotional state, others enjoy exploring different styles and proving their good fashion sense and a small number of people only focus on the utility of clothes.
According to certain studies, once a person dresses in a certain outfit, she starts adopting its characteristics without even realizing. If you think about it, when you put on a loose t-shirt and a pair of jeans you suddenly feel more laidback, but when you prepare for a special occasion and you have to wear an elegant dress, you start paying more attention to your posture and become more self-aware. When you plan to work out, you logically opt for a cozy top and a pair of yoga pants, but when you want to feel stronger and sexier, you choose a stylish business suit or an eye-catching dress. This explains why you keep hearing that piece of advice “dress for success”.
Other people base their first impression on your attire. If you look well put together, then they will automatically see you as an organized and professional person, but if you were in a rush when you left home in the morning and you did not have the time to iron your shirt, then you should expect others to question your capabilities. It might seem unfair for clothes to become such a harsh criterion, but today’s society relies maybe too much on the physical aspect of a person and it will probably not change.
On the other hand, people enjoy dressing in fancier clothes only to receive compliments that increase their level of confidence significantly. Since you know that wearing your favorite dress on a sunny day, especially when adding eye-catching jewelry lifts your mood and just makes you happier, then you should use this information to invigorate your positive vibes. You do not need a scientist to tell you that baggy clothes share a close link with depression.
You will never see a gloomy person wasting time mixing and matching pieces of clothing in front of the mirror or only shopping for merino wool clothing due to its high quality because she simply does not care about her physical appearance. Instead, she holds a negative feeling in her heart that comes to the surface through her outfit choices. Of course, you can see both a sad and a joyful person wearing jeans and this might be confusing. In this case, you need to redirect your attention towards other elements integrated in the outfit, such as color and accessories. Furthermore, you should never focus on the clothing style alone; instead, you should also consider the hairstyle and makeup, if any. They all complement each other.
Fashion psychology digs even deeper by associating clothes with eating habits. Apparently, women wearing tighter clothes do not consume as much food as those women who feel comfortable in looser pieces. Consequently, less food results in fewer pounds meaning that clothing can help you achieve the much-desired weight. Some women go a step further and intentionally wear a ribbon around their waist or tighten their belt in order to avoid overeating. This sounds extreme and people should not resort to such methods in order to shed undesirable pounds. Putting on a comfortable pair of leggings and working out seems a better decision.
According to another study, certain clothes can make you concentrate more than others. Well, we are mostly referring to uniforms; more specifically, white lab coats, which increase brain function. Now we know why all intelligent people wear that famous lab coat, but we wonder: what does the average person thinks when buying Hardvark Merino Clothing? Does she want to boost her confidence by investing in superior quality pieces? Does she want to exude a casual and laidback vibe? We are probably going too far with these questions and assumptions, but after understanding the power of clothes, we simply cannot help it.
Cynthia Madison is a young blogger and economics and marketing graduate. She writes about home, lifestyle and family topics and is a frequent contributor to popular niche publications.