Clothes and Your Mood: How Your Outfits Can Make You Feel Better

Have you ever thought about how fashion can boost your mood and self confidence? We have explained below how this is possible.
Fashion not only enhances your appearance, but also helps you feel good. Clothes improve your appearance which in turn makes you feel better and keeps you in a good mood. Another reason is that people are emotionally attached to their clothes.
Scientists term this effect of fashion on our mood as “enclothed cognition”.
Adam Hajo and Adam D. Galinsky, both professors at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, have written in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, that enclothed cognition “involves the co-occurrence of two independent factors — the symbolic meaning of the clothes and the physical experience of wearing them.”
Likewise, Karen J. Pine, professor at University of Hertfordshire (UK), has opined in her book titled Mind What You Wear: The Psychology of Fashion that when we wear a piece of clothing “we cannot help but adopt some of the characteristics associated with it, even if we are unaware of it.”
Furthermore Pine has been quoted as saying that if he is in casual clothes he’s relaxed and is tomboyish, but if he’s dresses up for a meeting, it affect the way he walks and his behavior as well.
University of Queensland’s researches stated that clothes can change the mood of people as they “get up and aren’t feeling great, they would put on something that would brighten them up.”
Simply put, fashion boosts our mood by helping us look good. Here we have rounded up some simple reasons why the secret of a good mood lies in looking good.
You Gain Confidence:
Clothing has a significant effect on your self esteem and confidence. For example, if you are wearing upscale brands or latest fashion from Paris, you will feel like a celebrity. And that feeling will be translated into confidence. You will feel proud of your clothing and this adds to your self esteem.
Fashion is Your “Punching Bag”:
People hold their clothing responsible for a bad date. If a date doesn’t go well for you, all the negative feelings and frustration is routed towards an object rather than yourself. Or you can say that an outfit is the ideal scapegoat, thereby saving you from feeling upset and negative about yourself. In many cases, people tear up clothes or show their aggression on the dresses they linked with an ex or an old job, as it is a physical way of breaking the connection.
Evoking Your Nostalgia:
You might have many garments in your closet that you have stopped wearing. Many of these garments are some pieces which used to make you the center of attention, or brought you appreciation for your style. For example, it could be your wedding dress or your clothes from when you where a teen. Such pieces are your source of pride and pleasure. It encourages you to harness this emotion and wear outfits that make you feel good all the time.
Ease Your Depression:

When you feel low, wearing a trendy piece or new clothes can be a way out for you. As it is established that pieces of clothes affect our mood and elevate our self esteem, shopping for new clothes help you battle stress, anxiety and other signs of depression.
Bottom Line:
The secret to feeling great and looking good lies in your wardrobe. Therefore make your closet a feel good zone. Try bringing in the mix of both casual and formal attire that boost your confidence and remind you of good moments in your life.
