More Than Just Clothing: Dressing to Affect Your Mood
Image Courtesy: WhoWhatWear
People say that you have to look good to feel good, and as it turns out, that might actually be true. Recent research studies show that several psychological changes occur when we wear certain clothing. Science suggests that the way you dress can give you an edge in your personal and professional life by affecting everything from attitude, behavior, and personality to confidence and interactions with other people.
Clothing choices can hold a lot of weight. I often find myself evaluating other people’s outfits and using their clothes as a judgment point to place them into a particular category. I also tend to evaluate myself based on how my clothing matches an occasion and because of the way they make me feel: confident, sloppy, put together, sharp. The simple experience of wearing clothing affects our behavior.
Image Courtesy: Teen Vogue
These studies have proven that both the type and color of clothing can affect your daily life. The type of clothing you put on your body allows you to play a part. Do you remember playing dress-up with your friends when you were little? You would switch your outfits to distinguish which character you were playing. Clothing has a similar effect in the real world.
Wearing a uniform of any kind triggers the brain to recall information it has stored regarding that role. This explains why school uniforms are popular and why wearing a lab coat helps people’s brains compute science—it also applies in less literal ways. For example, wearing gym clothes throughout the day makes it more likely that you will fit in a workout because wearing exercise attire serves as a constant reminder to live a healthy lifestyle. It also reduces the number of steps in the process of going to the gym because you are already dressed for the occasion.
Clothing also works as a way to place you in the proper mindset to complete the tasks at hand. Wearing a tailored suit to the office gives you the best chance to successfully conduct business because you will feel confident and capable. However, head-to-toe formal wear isn’t the best attire for all occasions. Studies show that suits make it more difficult to relax and open up. So when socializing with friends, a casual outfit will allow you to be more creative and friendly.
Image Courtesy: Glamour
In addition to the type, the color of clothing also affects people’s mood, attitude, and personality. There has been research done to show what color is best to dress in for each situation. While working out, the color orange stimulates brain activity and increases energy. Wearing orange has even been shown to increase oxygen supply. If you want to be seen as strong, black shows signs of power and aggression. Women should wear red on a first date because it resembles passion and causes one’s heart to race. But men should wear blue on a first date because it is calming and stable. Green is the best color to wear to the office or conduct business in because people subconsciously associate it with money. Green also requires the least amount of eye strain which is suitable for when people are presenting in front of groups or coworkers.
Next time you go to pick out an outfit, consider more than just what will look the most fashionable--experiment mixing colors and styles to craft the perfect uniform for the occasion. See how your moods and personality shift!
Strike out,
Writer: Sarah Gibson
Editor: Karina McCarthy
Tallahassee