10 things to know about the Psychology of Fashion
"Fashion is not something that exists only in garments. Fashion has to do with ideas - with the way we live and with what happens" - Coco Chanel already said. How we dress can actually say a lot about who we are and how we feel.
Our fashion sense is based on what we love, what makes us happy and how we want to portray ourselves. Our choice of fashion pieces also affects our mood. Putting on an outfit, going shopping, or cleaning out our closet are all psychological activities that make us feel good.
Fashion can define our inner feelings
Fashion is more powerful than we think. It can determine how we see ourselves. It can equally determine how we want to be seen by others. It can also determine how we feel on any given day. Our moods change regularly and sometimes several times in a day. Our wardrobe choices bring out those feelings. Fashion can express not only our feelings, but also our values. Our sense of style can be based on what we love and what inspires us.
The choice of wardrobe affects our mood and how we present ourselves
As mentioned earlier, our choice of clothing can reflect our mood. Conversely, our fashion choices can also affect our mood. The way we dress can play a role in how we behave in certain situations. For example: you have an interview today for the manager's job at a new hotel in town. You show up in sweatpants and disheveled hair...how do you act during this interview? Do you feel worthy and ready for the challenge? Let's say you show up in your favorite suit jacket and got your hair cut yesterday. How does the interview go then? When we look good, we feel good. It's that simple!
Children and Teens express themselves through their clothes
When we are young, we begin to discover ourselves. Everything inspires us. Everything is exciting. We grow every day. For this reason, fashion for children and teenagers is a way to find their own form of self-expression. As we grow, we go through many different trends. When children have the opportunity to use their sense of fashion as a form of expression, they may be better able to figure out who they want to be. Finding their own style and daring to stand out from others strengthens their own self-worth at an early age.
Harmony of body and mind
When our clothes fit our body, they also fit our mind. There are always new trends in the fashion world, but we don't have to follow them all. Part of having your own sense of fashion and style is knowing what you like and making it your own. It's not just about colors and patterns, but also about fit. For many people, it's important to find clothes that fit their own body shape. We are all different! When we find pieces that fit our body and stature and that we feel confident and good in, we can be much happier and freer in our everyday lives.
"Look carefully in the mirror and wear only what really suits you." Vivienne Westwood
Sportswear can drive and motivate us
Have you ever felt incredibly uninspired to work out? And ever found that a good workout outfit can change that? Our brains have a quirk: if we're dressed appropriately, we're much more likely to get active. So put on your workout clothes early to activate that part of your brain. If you're committed to that part of the day with your outfit, you're much more likely to follow through with your workout. It's all in our heads!
Other people's fashion choices can inspire us
We live in a world that is full of inspiration. It can be found in our daily interactions, on our smartphones, our laptops and our TV screens. The world outside our four walls is more accessible than ever before. When it comes to fashion, we see fashion blogs, online shopping sites, models in ads, influencer:ins on social media channels and more. When our eyes are open to all these different sensory impressions of fashion and style, it's so easy to be constantly inspired and motivated. Maybe you've never thought about changing your style, but have fallen in love with the confidence of a character from your favorite show! Now your online shopping cart is full...!
We can find our sense of fashion where we live
Many of us dress according to our social environment. Similar to a language dialect, there are different "fashion dialects" in different places. This can be based on climate, daily activities, career choice, personality type, etc. While seaside cities often feature breezy casual styles, in metropolitan cities we more often see business chic. So we dress according to our environment.
The desire to fit in
Even at a young age, many children feel an inner urge to belong. The desire to be on a par with one's friends and classmates is socially widespread. When it comes to fashion, this means knowing the current trends among peers. These trends often make themselves visible in our own friend group. As we get older, this desire to belong doesn't necessarily disappear. It just finds new ways to show up and can be rooted in finding friendships or love, feeling cool or even worthy. Classmates become work colleagues. The latest bright sneakers are now the boots every internet influencer wears.
Cultural factors can determine our style
The way we grew up can make us feel ashamed of our clothing choices as adults. Just as we dress according to our environment, we dress according to our personal lifestyle. This includes our upbringing, our religious choices, and our cultural environment. In some religions and cultures, clothing choices are very specific and strict. As people in these communities grow older and choose a different lifestyle, these restrictions can hold them back mentally. When something is prescribed for us for so long, we can feel ashamed if we desire something different. For example, a young woman from an religious family may feel ashamed when she goes to college and decides to dress less conservatively. This is a very common connection between our inner psychology and our daily fashion choices.
Show some color
The connection between colors and fashion is another important psychological link. Colors can be a projection of how we feel, how we want others to feel, and what we want others to see us as. When we are in a certain mood, we may unconsciously choose a color palette that represents that mood. We may also intentionally choose colors to create a particular mood in those around us. Our minds are very sensitive to colors, and fashion is an easy way to practice this.
"It's really interesting how what you wear can affect who you are." Stella McCartney
