Fashion's impact on mental wellbeing – DW – 09/24/2019 (2024)
Getting dressed in the morning: it's a task we do daily, some more consciously than others. We get dressed for work in the morning, choose casual clothes for lunch with a friend or maybe dress up for dinner in the evening. And with each outfit we — intentionally or unintentionally — communicate non-verbally to the outside world.
It's no question that what we wear is who we are because fashion is a way for us to express ourselves, our identity and even how we feel. The clothes we wear daily reflect the way we want others to perceive us and how we see ourselves. Clothes even influence our cognitive abilities.
In 2012, researchers from Northwestern University in the US found that wearing specific articles of clothing had an effect on the wearer's psychology and performance. The researchers concluded that clothes have a symbolic meaning. When we wear an article of clothing with a specific meaning, these clothes can influence our psychological state. It's called "enclothed cognition."
For example, a lab coat is associated with intelligence and scientific thinking. When a person wears a lab coat, these characteristics symbolized by the coat seem to have positive effects on their performance of specific tasks, according to the researchers. The study results show that what we wear, and the symbolic meaning we associate with specific fashion items, has measurable effects on our mental state.
"This experiment really shows how clothes can affect our attention, how we feel about ourselves and our competencies," says Camay Abraham, who has a Master degree in Applied Psychology in Fashion from the London College of Fashion.
These effects can be positive, but also negative. "It could mean a negative state of being if the item in question is known to be associated with a negative construct,"says Abraham. So "enclothed cognition" is a two-way street, just like our daily clothing choice can make us feel good or bad.
On days where we don't feel our best the clothes we wear can make us feel better and act as our potential armour. On those days, I personally find it difficult to combine the right outfit. Sometimes I try to imitate someone else's style because on them it makes them look fierce; however I quickly realize that those same clothes don't have the same effect on me. And so I become uncomfortable; I’ll be tugging and pulling constantly on the garments I’m wearing, acutely aware of what I put on.
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The consequence is usually to never wear it again. In making this decision, fashion journalist Abraham sees a relation between cognitive dissonance and fashion. The term 'cognitive dissonance' describes a psychological phenomenon where an action that doesn't align with our personal beliefs or values leads to a conflict that causes a mental uneasiness. To reduce the mental discomfort, we either change the action so that it aligns with our beliefs again or we convince ourselves that the action is actually what we want to do.
In my case, by not wearing that type of outfit again, I bring my actions and beliefs back into alignment.
"You realize that the style doesn't fit your beliefs, ideals, or values, so psychologically you feel uncomfortable and will try to dissipate those feelings by changing your style," says Abraham. And I do, I will go back to wearing what makes me comfortable. Alternatively, we convince ourselves that the outfit is to show a new part of ourselves and is exactly what we want.
Now the question is: should you dress how you want to feel or dress how you feel? "I think you should dress how you want to feel because you should focus on how you aspire to feel instead of how you are feeling," says Abraham.
Dressing how you want to feel is a way to embody the state of mind you seek and to shape other people's perception of you in a positive way.
But fashion doesn't simply shape our perception and self-expression; fashion also influences how we are treated by other people which in turn can impact our mental wellbeing.
Abraham offers an example: "By wearing the newest trends, people may be more accepting of you because you are following within this framework of what is acceptable in society at the time."
Clothes signify how we want to be treated, what social group we belong to or want to be accepted into. Acceptance for who we are and what we wear gives us peace of mind, just as wearing clothes we are comfortable in can positively affect our mental state.
Fashion does influence our mental state. 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.
It's called “enclothed cognition” and it describes how the clothes we wear affect our behavior, attitudes, personality, mood, confidence, and even the way we interact with others.
Such new fashion trends also affect the psychology of younger generations, and hence, if they do not get it, then it badly affects their minds and (likely) they become victims of psychological disorders such as eating disorders, mental illness, stress, etc.
Your dress style may stimulate feelings of self- confidence. Good fashion style represents what you want to be, and similarly, how you want to be treated by others. Your style choices are dictated by the situations, events and occasions you are involved in.
Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including: Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry. Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse. Family history of mental health problems.
Studies show that fast fashion affects mental health negatively, triggering mental health conditions such as: Psychological stress related to impulse buying and panic buying. Feelings of insecurity, inadequacy, shame, guilt, and anxiety in consumers. Eating disorders.
Wearing the right kind of clothes can give your confidence a huge boost. If you like what you are wearing it will reflect on the outside, enhancing your personality. They say it takes less than ten seconds to make a first impression and the clothes we wear play a very significant part in it.
The clothes that people wear affect how they feel, their confidence level, and the way that they view themselves. If a person feels good in the size that they wear or feels insecure about the size that they wear, it can lead to either high or low levels of self-esteem.
The fashion industry accounts for between 5% and 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The global fashion industry is generating a lot of greenhouse gases due to the energy used during its production, manufacturing, and transportation of the million garments purchased each year.
Fast fashion has an enormous environmental footprint for both its production and disposal. Clothing production requires a considerable amount of energy and resources, while it depends on toxic fabric dyes and other chemicals that contaminate fresh water. Fashion produces a tenth of the world's carbon emissions.
Many psychological factors help explain what motivates us to be fashionable. These include conformity, desires for variety seeking, the need to express personal creativity, and sexual attraction.
“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.”
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.
finding a hobby (such as gardening, playing sport, cooking, or arts and craft) giving to others by volunteering, being there for friend in need, or caring for animals. having someone to talk to who can provide support and reassurance. eating healthily and exercising regularly.
For example, a person with obsessive compulsive disorder, attention deficit disorder, or mild depression can still demonstrate moderate or positive mental wellness (e.g., having good relationships, feeling happy, or functioning well at a job).
The environmental impact of fast fashion comprises the depletion of non-renewable sources, emission of greenhouse gases and the use of massive amounts of water and energy.
Fast fashion is severely criticized for its negative social impacts. It doesn't promote decent work conditions, gender equality, diversity, or inclusivity. Instead, retailers foster a culture of discrimination, harassment, and violence.
The principles of fashion design include Unity, Balance, Proportion, Emphasis and Rhythm. Fashion design is an elaborate field of study that has many interesting subjects.
Fashion has the ability to change and shape lives through its personal connection to us all. We all have to wear clothes and every piece of clothing we buy represents a personal choice – it is this intrinsically human relationship between us and our fashion that makes it political.
Clothes influence how we look at someone. They help create an idea of what we think about their personality. Wearing what makes you comfortable is a statement, and people will respect your individuality. This is an essential detail of why fashion is important.
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.
The fashion industry is the second largest polluter of water globally, produces more carbon emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined, and harms worker health with toxic chemicals.
Why do fashions change? The answer is probably as simple as the fact that people change. Over time, the new replaces the old. People are influenced by popular culture, including athletes, musicians, movie stars, social media, and royalty.
The target audience for fast fashion is consumers aged between 18 and 24, while women and young girls consume fast fashion more than any other demographic group. Fast fashion brands did not aim to democratise fashion, nor to make it affordable in comparison to its counterparts.
These unsold garments are often burned, as it's cheaper and easier for the company than finding a way to reuse or recycle them. Apart from wasting resources, the fast fashion industry pollutes waterways with toxic dyes, and increases the number of microfibres in the ocean through the use of fossil fuel-based fabrics.
When they arrive in the shops, our clothes still contain a lot of chemicals, even clothes made of "100% natural" fiber. Our skin is our body's largest organ and absorbs anything we put on it, including chemicals in our clothes. These can present a real danger to our health.
When a person's realistic body and their ideal body images do not match, this can often lead to mental health issues such as eating disorders, mood disorders, and anxiety disorders. Several serious eating disorders are centered around body image concerns.
Fashion has the ability to change and shape lives through its personal connection to us all. We all have to wear clothes and every piece of clothing we buy represents a personal choice – it is this intrinsically human relationship between us and our fashion that makes it political.
Appearance affects both the way we look at other people and the way we look at ourselves. Through a series of steps, the author reveals the support for his hypothesis. He states that appearance affects others opinions, which in turn influences how we view ourselves, which in turn has effects on our personality.
It may have affected your sense of identity – perhaps you feel like you don't recognise yourself or that you don't know who you are anymore. Many people experience a strong sense of loss as well – a loss of self-image, self-identity and of the person they were before the change in appearance.
We tend to think of our looks as separate from who we are. But it turns out that physical traits like height or attractiveness may shape our personalities, behaviours, even politics.
Clothing has a major impact on the comfort feeling of people. The clothing properties that will affect this comfort feeling are the thermal conductivity, the moisture and vapour transport capacity, the air permeability, the fit and the touch and feel.
Dressing well can be great for your mental health. Get up each day and maintain a routine of getting dressed and ready so you feel more like yourself. It can give you the boost you need to stay out of a mental funk and find something productive to do.
Clothing is an essential part of people's lives. They offer many health and beauty benefits. Fashion is crucial to history because it sets the tone for how people present themselves in every era. Everyone lives through fashion, sometimes by choice and sometimes because of societal rules.
Social factor is one of the most significant factors that influence fashion frequently and expansively. Its area is pretty wide and includes many factors, such as place of living (urban area or rural area), educational and cultural background, status in society, gender, profession, and, of course, occasions.
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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