You know those days where absolutely everything goes right? You get your coffee order with your name spelled correctly, traffic is a breeze, your favorite song pumps you up right before parking your car, and then when you head into work, your boss calls for a half-day? Those kinds of days don’t happen nearly enough, but there are ways to brighten your spirits without a full day of perfect outcomes. How? Music. Time with friends. Even extra time in your go-to comfy clothes.
Clothes often make the difference between a good day and a bad one. Sometimes you wake up with half the energy you expected, and when you get dressed, you put on clothes that resemble the way you feel—mundane clothes that don’t make you feel special. Other days, you put on your favorite dress and most comfortable shoes and are ready to take on the world.
Here are ways that clothes can help improve your mood and put a positive spin on the day no matter the time of year.
1. When Clothes Draw in Compliments
There are times when you try something new, a bit more dazzle. The mundane has gotten stale, and you think: what better than to add a small change. A necklace or a fashion scarf, that blue blazer perhaps. People will ask you if you got your hair cut, but no, it's just added zest.
A tunic, leggings, new ankle boots, and a stunning necklace, and boom, you're getting compliments left and right. When the new outfit draws in praise from friends, family, or even the cashier at the market, it’s hard not to smile and feel appreciated.
2. When Your Clothes Make You Feel Confident at Work
Let's say you have an extra hour in the morning and you're not exactly sure what to do with that time. Don’t be tempted to spend that time tossing and turning in bed, instead, grab your iron and do a solid pressing of your button-up shirt and dress pants. Get a lint roller to make the whole get-up spotless.
By completing a few simple morning tasks, you’ll feel like a million bucks when walking into the office. This will play into how you do your job that day, the confidence you exude in meetings, and even how you answer annoying emails. When you feel good, you’re more likely to treat others with kindness, too.
3. When Your Clothes Make You Feel Pulled Together for Errands
Even when wearing your casual, everyday clothes, you can still add some pep to your step and sunshine to your outlook by choosing the right outfit for you. When running an afternoon errand or picking up your kids from soccer practice.
Think of your favorite casual day outfit—maybe it’s one of your fit and flare dresses or one of your cozy flannel shirts—and plan to run your errands in that outfit. You can always hop right back into your slippers and sweatpants when you get home, but for a couple of hours, you can dive into that feel-good energy that your favorite casual top or dress can bring you.
4. When You Know Your Jeans are a Perfect Fit
There’s a reason why celebrities have tailors who make sure their clothes are a perfect fit for an upcoming movie premiere or awards show. Outfits that fit perfectly and are made for your every curve are ideal for looking and feeling good. By purchasing a pair of classic jeans that are your perfect fit, you’ll have an item you can grab for any occasion and will know they’ll have you looking stylish all year.
Having jeans that are a perfect fit makes your mornings easier too. Getting started right away without having to question whether or not they'll look good is a great step in the day. Cutting down on your decision-making process in the morning can help you focus on the bigger things—which will cut down on stress and let you feel happier all day.
5. When You Put on a Special Occasion Outfit
That sleeveless jersey dress that you were saving for a special occasion may have been bought with a unique intention, but today is today, and hey, why not wear it if you’re feeling it?
When you find a dress or a shirt that might not feel like a Tuesday type of outfit, give it a go and see if that boosts your mood. You might be surprised. Perhaps it's winter, and wearing a floral button-up shirt seems odd in theory but is what you truly want to wear to brighten your spirits? Wear it. Your mood is more important than old-fashioned fashion rules.
6. When You Opt for a Bright Outfit to Brighten Your Mood
Wearing brighter clothes on those "grey days" can impress a brighter mood upon you. You may not be feeling sky blue, but you'd be surprised that people will approach you based on the colors you're wearing. Try it out with a bright-colored sweater or tunic! Plus, just looking in the mirror and seeing yourself in a bright-colored dress is a way to lift your mood, too. Bright colors are synonymous with a great mood—why else are colorful stickers and pictures such a smile-inducer?
7. When You Feel Comfy and Cozy
This could be you sitting back in your favorite flannel pajamas on a day off. It could be that date night when you’re wearing your warmest cashmere sweater or a night in front of the TV in your worn-in sweatpants. The important thing is to be as snug as possible and to indulge. Such a feat may mean taking a shower beforehand and hopping right into a big sweater and leggings. Or walking into a robe and staying warm in it all day long. Schedule cozy time.
8. When You Put on a Shirt Fresh from the Dryer on a Cold Day
Have you ever put on a shirt right out of the dryer on a cool fall day and realized, "oh, well this is life itself. I should do this forever, every day." Of course, you have. You're a living, breathing, person and well, if you haven't done this we highly recommend it. A warm shirt fresh out of the dryer can have a huge impact on your day. So much so that you might make it a habit.
Clothes, and fashion as a whole, have a way of impacting our mood by making us feel more confident, more ready for certain events, or by even drawing in compliments from friends or strangers. Your clothes are powerful tools that help brighten your mood or pump you up for a day full of adventure.
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FAQs
The impact of colour on our mental state is well documented. Colours can evoke a range of emotions. They can make us more cheerful, alert, anxious or relaxed (to name a few), so it makes sense that the colour of our clothes influences how we feel too. “Different colours can have different effects on the brain.
How clothes can make you happy? ›
“When we wear clothes, the associations we place on them have the power to alter the way we feel and even impact the way we act,” Forbes-Bell says. “So, for example, if you associate a particular dress or color with joy, then you will embody that feeling of joy when you put it on.”
How can clothes help us? ›
Clothing can insulate against cold or hot conditions, and it can provide a hygienic barrier, keeping infectious and toxic materials away from the body. It can protect feet from injury and discomfort or facilitate navigation in varied environments. Clothing also provides protection from ultraviolet radiation.
How clothes impact your life? ›
The clothes that a person wear often play a vital role in many aspects of their daily lives, such as interpersonal relationships, social situations, and in the professional environment. They are important in establishing an individual's mood, commanding respect, and often affect first impressions too.
How do clothes improve personality? ›
Clothes reflect who you are, how you feel at the moment and sometimes even what you want to achieve in life? Always remember whatever you wear should reflect the real you. Your dressing sense reflects your personality, character, mood, style and what actually you are as an individual.
Can clothes make you feel powerful? ›
For many of us, clothing allows us to adjust, to shift, to evolve, and to be whoever we want to be at any given moment. It makes us feel especially powerful to communicate our values through the stories our garments tell.
What clothes make you feel powerful? ›
Darker neutrals have a way of naturally making you appear stronger. That's why you always see CEOs of large corporations, business tycoons, and politicians decked out in black or navy suits. Don't feel compelled to only wear darker colours, but this is a good place to start if you're new to power dressing.
How does clothing affect how we feel? ›
The psychology of clothing is complex and taps into culture, symbolism, neuroscience, sexuality and many more aspects of the human experience. Fashion and clothing influences behavior in multiple ways; our perception of ourselves, how others react to us, our confidence and self-esteem.
Why do clothes matter? ›
Clothes can be a shield we use to get through challenging times but more importantly tells the world who we are. Whether we like it or not, we're judged by our appearance and the clothes we wear, matter. Look sloppy and people may decide you're careless with little respect for details or yourself.
How do clothes influence how people react to you? ›
Symbolism: Clothes can carry cultural or personal symbolism, which can influence our mood and confidence. Wearing clothing that represents our values or beliefs can give us a sense of pride and confidence. Overall, clothes have the power to influence our mood and confidence in both positive and negative ways.
The way you dress changes the way you perceive the environment, people, and objects around you. It makes you look at things from different perceptions with more light for creativity. The clothes we wear affect not only our personality but also our mental health and our physical condition.
Can clothes make you more confident? ›
Clothes Can Make You Feel Powerful. High-quality, well-tailored clothing can help you feel more confident and powerful, allowing you to take on challenges at work and in your personal life. Research has shown that wearing formal clothing can change the way you view and approach situations.
What happens when you dress well? ›
Dressing well and staying well-groomed conveys more than just power, authority, and confidence. It shows that you have self-respect. The way you decide to present yourself to the world is how they'll take you.
Why is dressing sense important? ›
To make a good first impression
Your appearance is often the first thing others notice about you. Dressing professionally can help form a positive impression to people you meet in the workplace. This is especially important for interviews and when meeting upper-level managers who make hiring and promotion decisions.
Can clothes motivate you? ›
Now, are certain articles of clothing more motivating than others? Yes and no, say Dr. Fader and his colleague Liv Massey, also a SportStrata performance coach. “In my experience, clothes that represent high performance tend to inspire higher performance in those who wear them,” says Dr.
Why are clothes important in psychology? ›
Clothes have developed from a practical asset to a social marker: they affect the way we see ourselves. They help us to be seen in the light that we wish to be, and also exude our personalities and social status. In many societies, dress sense embodies personal wealth and taste.
Does clothes help anxiety? ›
While your clothes may have a role in your anxiety, they are not the root cause of it. You still need to make sure that you're reducing your anxiety in general. Once you do, you'll be more likely to have confidence in what you choose to wear.
Do you feel better when you dress better? ›
The consistent daily act of dressing well not only helps you fine-tune your taste, it also helps increase your confidence because you will trust your ability to pick out a stylish outfit to wear.
Why do I feel better when I dress up? ›
Dr Tang says when we dress up, we walk taller – and that change in our posture has a massive effect psychologically on our brains. The message is simple: never undervalue the simple things.
What clothes show power? ›
In addition to the power suit (which must, obviously, be well-fitted to your personal measurements, not just your rack size), wear a plain white shirt, black leather shoes and belt, and a deep-colored necktie with conservative patterning.
When used positively, clothing contributes to feelings of self- acceptance and self-esteem. Clothing choices of individuals can be a reflection of how they feel about themselves, or how they want others to feel about them (Kwon, 1991).
What is the most important in clothes? ›
The most important component of a garment is the fabric. It doesn't matter how well crafted the seams of the garment are – if it the clothing is made from the wrong fabric, it will not do justice to the design and will look like a disaster.
What are the 4 types of clothes? ›
Casual wear – worn as standard clothing. Formal wear – worn for events such as weddings. Lingerie – undergarments worn for support and / or decoration. Sportswear – worn for athletic activities like running.
What is personal clothes? ›
Personal clothing means any clothing that is not a uniform or other standardized clothing issued by the department but does not include undergarments.
Do clothes make a difference? ›
Your clothes not only affect your productivity and overall confidence, but scientists at Northwestern University found that the clothes you wear can change the way you think. In one study, subjects had to perform tests while wearing a lab coat like medical doctors wear, a coat like painters wear, or neither coat.
Is it good to have lots of clothes? ›
While it's great to have a lot of clothes and mix and match different items, too many clothes can start to weigh you down physically and emotionally. Don't be afraid to purge your closet regularly, and take the time to shop with intention so that you only buy what you need (and will actually wear).
How does clothing affect psychology? ›
The way we feel about certain clothes and how they affect us can be influenced by those preconceptions. Different aspects of clothing design can have psychological effects, meaning changes in how we think and feel, and thus behave. A red attire can make someone feel confident while black might inspire seriousness.
How does fashion express emotion? ›
Clothes are one of the main ways we express our personalities to the world. They are a reflection of who we are and give signals to people about what we stand for. People make assumptions about us based on what we are wearing and our clothes can impact our own emotions and feelings.
Do the clothes a person wears influence what you think of them? ›
We do these things without thinking because we can't imagine that our clothes could have an influence on our thoughts. However, psychologists have confirmed that the way we dress not only has an impact on the way that we are perceived by others, but also on how we perceive ourselves.
What does psychology say about dressing? ›
How You Dress Definitely Affects Your Mood. One significant way that dressing well can positively affect your life is by changing your mood. Studies show that there is a direct link to dressing well and your mood as it stabilizes and improves quality of happiness, drastically reducing the risk of depression.
Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders coined the phrase, “If you look good, you feel good, and if you feel good, you play good.” What initially gave off the appearance of just another one of “Primetime's” classic arrogance may actually hold merit.
Does buying clothes make you happy? ›
It has also been proven that shopping does give an instant gratification after we buy something, and that is exactly what we're feeling, that blast of adrenaline running throughout our veins making us think that we are happy, and we probably are, but for like just an instant and then it goes away and what we often feel ...
How does clothing affect mental health? ›
Mental health effects
If you're constantly picking up your outfits keeping in mind what society considers ideal, then eventually your self-esteem may take a hit. A poor body image may lead to negative thoughts about yourself.
How does clothing make people feel? ›
Even the colors that you wear can impact your mood. Cheerful colors can boost your body and energy, while darker colors create a more relaxed and low-stress feel. If you're having a bad day, throw on your brightest color and it can instantly improve your mental state! Don't neglect your undergarments.
Does clothes affect attitude? ›
Clothes, therefore, affect people's attitudes and emotions. People tend to choose their clothes based on their mood. There are clothes worn when a person is low or going through challenging situations that affect them emotionally, mentally or physically.
How does the way you dress affect your mental health? ›
Cuts, colors, and patterns are proven to enhance our mood. One of the reasons is clothes are connected to specific roles. Studies have also shown that routine dressing rituals can also help people ward off thoughts that lead to anxiety and depression.
Do clothes change behavior? ›
Studies have found that people tend to be less open and find it more difficult to relax when they wear formal clothes. On the other hand, a casual and relaxed dress code at work helps us become more friendly and creative.
Does clothing affect self-esteem? ›
Clothes Can Make You Feel Powerful. High-quality, well-tailored clothing can help you feel more confident and powerful, allowing you to take on challenges at work and in your personal life. Research has shown that wearing formal clothing can change the way you view and approach situations.
Do your mood affect what you wear? ›
Several studies show our mood can be affected depending on what we wear. Likewise, how we feel upon waking can affect our choice of outfit and subsequent moods.
Why does dressing well make you feel better? ›
“People experience changes in their emotional state with a change in their style of dress,' she explains. “When you wear clothes that make you feel confident, happy and empowered, they can act as armour, shielding you from negative feelings and experiences.”
