Would you believe it if I told you that wearing certain clothes can make you more successful? What one person wears can also impact their own self image as well. There is this interesting psychology behind clothing that subconsciously works with our brain. Clothes have a really strong influence on how we operate. It has even been proven that wearing certain clothes can also help you achieve certain goals you wish to attain. People subconsciously try to embody the expectations of an outfit. There's an infamous quote saying "If you look good, you feel good. If you feel good, you play good. If you play good, they pay good”. And the interesting part of this is that it is actually proven to be true.
There is this new phenomenon that scientists have discovered that goes by the title of “enclothed cognition”. Enclothed cognition illustrates how clothing impacts human cognition based on the co-occurrence of its symbolic meaning and the physical wearing of the attire. The term was created by Hajo Adam and Adam D. Galinsky where they exhibited the phenomenon with an experiment in 2012 using white lab coats. The study was divided into two halves; the first half involved half of the subjects wearing doctors lab coats and the second half had the subjects in their normal everyday outfits. Conclusions were that those in the lab coats made less mistakes when given a task and actually performed better than those subjects in everyday outfits. This shows that people in the lab coats performed better because doctors are universally known to be professional, skilled and focused. The subjects began to embody these traits without even knowing.
Clothes can be used to our advantage if we understand this cognition. From the colors of the clothes all the way to the style, they all have a symbolic meaning. There is powerful clothing, casual clothing, gym clothing, uniform, and designer clothing. Wearing powerful clothing can make oneself feel more dominant and confident. Wearing clothes like a suit or a blazer can help assist with control and power. Casual clothes, such as everyday street wear, can make one more friendly, personable, and creative. Gym clothes can actually motivate you to workout and lead you to a healthier lifestyle. Wearing a uniform can benefit those to get into the mindset of their job and help them stay focused. Lastly, designer clothing has actually been shown to create a more “high-class” and professional attitude.
Not only can clothes impact our lives, they also tie into our emotions and mental health. Clothing can represent a person without words. A study conducted by Professor Karen Pine, author of “Mind What Your Wear: Psychology of Fashion” was able to correlate fashion with mental health. For example, people diagnosed with depression were found to feel more comfortable in big loose fitting clothes most of the time. People diagnosed with anxiety were found to care intensively about their attire. Switching up attire was actually proven to improve mental states. In addition, wearing certain colors of clothing were also coordinated with feelings.
White- clean emotional state, freshness, purity, focus
Yellow - happiness
Red - excitement, sensuality
Light Blue - serenity, professionalism
Dark Blue - consistency, dependability
Green - healing, soothing
Orange - energy, enthusiasm
Pink - romance
Brown - grounded, reliable
Black - power
Purple - spirituality, mysticism
In conclusion, taking pride in what you wear everyday can highly impact your life. What you wear does not define who you are as a person but is a large factor determining your success. Understanding this phenomena can help many of us be more productive and improve our mental health.
I really enjoyed reading this article! I liked how you mention how the color of your cloth can imply someone’s mood they are currently feeling. Look at funerals for example, most people wear all black to represent the grief and sadness they are feeling. Now for weddings, the people getting married wear white to represent happiness and a new life ahead of them. I liked your point about mental health and how fashion can be tied into it. I do agree with the idea of how depressed people tend to wear baggy clothing to feel more comfortable or in the “mood” of depression they are currently feeling. Overall very interesting and definitely something I want to learn more about!
Overall this article was both interesting and stimulating. I never realized that the color of the clothing you choose to wear can imply a mood or sense of identity. I always thought that the brand was what would dictate the boost of confidence. For example, someone wearing Gucci might feel slightly more empowered than someone who doesn't. However, now that it boils down to colors I can definitely agree that I tend to wear a lot of white which has to do with my clean and kept personality both socially and literally.
This was a super interesting article! I was always told that the purpose of my school uniform growing up was because it limited distractions from having wild patterns or lots of accessories, but I definitely think the argument you present, that it might inherently make you more focused is stronger. It also makes me curious how people like Steve Jobs and Donald Trump, who wear the same outfit everyday fit into the "enclothed cognition" study. Did wearing black, the color of power, as a turtleneck or a suit everyday contributed to the power those men amassed?