Did you know, your clothes can affect your moods and emotions? It’s true; perhaps you’ve even experienced this yourself! Can you remember turning to your favourite dress to make you feel better? Or, wearing a crisp white shirt over stylish pants and stepping into your high heels for that boost of confidence?
A study conducted by Professor Karen Pine, a renowned psychologist, revealed that clothing reflects and influences the wearer’s mood. In fact, many women in this study felt they could change their mood by changing what they wore. This gives us an insight into the power of clothing and how your fashion choices can lift your mood, enhance your self-esteem and make you feel beautiful. If you read Professor Pine’s book, ‘Mind What You Wear: The Psychology of Fashion’, you’ll also find out how making a simple tweak to your ensemble can be life-changing. All this simply goes to show that your fashion choices could be more important than you realised! Fashion psychologists term this relationship between fashion and your emotional state as ‘enclothed cognition’, referring to the way clothes influence the psychology of the person wearing them.
Fashion and mood interact in two ways. Firstly, your clothes reflect what you’re feeling on the inside. If you’re all set to kill it at a board meeting, you’d choose a sleek business outfit. If you’re looking forward to date night, you’d probably pick an elegant dress. If you’re feeling low, then a baggy sweatshirt feels comforting. On the flip side, your mood could change depending on what you pull out from your wardrobe. For instance, when you’re blue, some bright, happy colours and stylish accessories might lift your spirits – a concept called ‘dopamine dressing’.
Here’s a look into the psychology of fashion and how clothes affect your emotions:
- Colour
Colour has long been known to impact our mood, emotions, and behaviours. While you can infuse hues within your ensemble with carefully picked wardrobe basics and accessories, colours can also evoke a spectrum of emotions. For instance, bright colours like sunny yellow, electric blue and vibrant orange can cheer you up and bring a playful note to your outfit. Vibrant-coloured clothes have been found to have a positive impact on cognitive function and self-esteem. A ginger yellow playsuit or summery yellow dress is perfect to lighten your spirits. A necklace with attractive aqua-blue apatite gemstones can also add a spark of colour to your ensemble and cheer you up. Red is the obvious colour for a date, while pink is more subtle. Dark colours such as navy, brown and black are good options for commanding power.
Of course, emotions are subjective and your association with a particular colour could be different from someone else’s. So, while bright colours evoke a feeling of lightness and joy in some, black may do the same for you.
- Fabric
Fabric and its texture can also impact your mood and emotions. You may have noticed that wearing something soft and comfortable will more likely have you in a positive mood, than fabric that irritates your skin. Soft, light knitwear, like our Shine jumper, is sure to keep you feeling warm, snug and comfortable. And for summer, nothing is better than fabrics that are light, airy and breathable. The Boheme skirt, cut in pure cotton, is a cool yet comfortable choice for casual outings. As is the cotton Leonce dress with lace, which is simple yet classy, bringing a Parisian chic look along with a note of confidence.
The sense of touch also plays a significant role in emotional regulation. This is because different textures, on touch, can give rise to certain memories, associations and moods. However, these are subjective and depend on each person’s life experiences and preferences.
- Style
Style is unique to each person. However, certain looks can, in general, influence the way others think about you – also, how you think about yourself. This is why, certain clothes are best suited to certain occasions or activities. A working professional will feel more confident and self-assured, sporting a chic business look, while an evening on the town would call for an elegant ensemble, like the Victoria dress, a timeless, versatile piece styled with simple yet sophisticated earrings and bracelet with mother of pearl.
The best part about clothing is that it helps you express yourself and create your own identity. You can mix and match to create your own unique style, and showcase your best features through well-tailored, flattering clothing cut in comfortable fabrics. When you are dressed accordingly to your authentic style, you are more likely to feel happy.
The question then is this –Do clothes affect people’s moods differently? The short answer is yes, because people’s life experiences, preferences, cultural backgrounds and so much more, differ. Hence, a particular colour, fabric or style will not affect everyone’s emotions and mood in the same way.
Now that you know how clothes affect your emotions, what you could do is pay attention to what you wear and tune in to how they make you feel through the day. Wear clothes that align with your values and personality or the attitude you want to express. Think about what you are looking to accomplish – lift your spirits, be more productive, impress your date etc. – and dress for it. Create a “happy wardrobe” filled with clothes that fit, feel good and make you feel confident, and try to dress intentionally.
At JULIETTE C, our effortlessly chic collection of stylish yet comfortable wardrobe classics for women is elegant, conscious, flattering, and very pleasant to wear. We strive to offer our customers the best value for their money and dress them in styles that they feel confident and beautiful in.
If you would like to know more about fashion and how clothes affect our emotions, do get in touch with us.
You can also visit our website to discover our timeless French fashion for women.
