Self-expression through fashion (2024)

Did you know on average a person makes 35,000 decisions per day? And you may not realise deciding what to wear is one of the most important daily decisions you make that helps you to express your self-identity.

Through our clothing, we are able to non-verbally communicate a part of our personality. Whether that be expressing your sensitive side by wearing floral print or indicating you’re an extravert by wearing an eye-catching statement piece.

Here at brighterkind, we encourage our residents to continue expressing themselves through their personal choices including their sense of fashion. Getting older does not mean you stop caring about how you present yourself. The smell of a favourite scent or aftershave, the feeling of fabric, the sparkle of jewellery or completion of an accessory all has a huge impact on individualism and feeling like ‘you’.

Clothing is not only a great way to express yourself, but researchers suggests the types of clothing we wear can affect our behaviours as well as our confidence. By wearing clothes we love, we feel confident in ourselves and this is particularly important to wellbeing of the elderly.

The positive impact that fashion has on the elderly doesn’t stop there! Items in our wardrobes can hold many memories, whether it’s a vintage piece that transports the owner to an era from their youth or an item that reminds them of a particular time in their life. Fashion is a great way to get the elderly to reminisce, which has a positive impact on their wellbeing.

brighterkind has care homes throughout England, Scotland and Jersey and is consistently featured in carehome.co.uk’s ‘Top 20 Most Recommended Care Home Groups by Families and Residents’;click here to find a home near you.