Have you ever wondered why you feel great you put on your favorite jeans? It may prompt you to consider whether your clothing affects the way you think and feel, and your performance and behavior.
While many people spend extra time dressing up for special occasions and events most people feel good about dressing up or feeling guilty. Some people don’t spend a lot of time or thought on their attire.
However, recent studies and research suggests something different. According to research it is possible to provide you with an advantage when you interact with people in your social, personal and professional life.
Therefore, there’s some truth to sayings like “look good, feel great. The way you dress can affect your character and behavior, confidence, attitude and mood. In case you were wondering, the specific term for this is clothed cognition.
Enclothed Cognition
Enclothed cognition is a term that is used to describe the impact your clothing has on a range of mental processes. The most common are self-evaluation, interpersonal interaction, emotions, and attitude. Because of the symbolism behind various types of clothing in society, enclothed cognition could be the consequence.
The culture of the day makes you think that certain clothes are stylish and powerful while others are fun and enjoyable. This is why your mind begins to analyze the personality and preferences of the person you’ve just have met.
Clothes and occasions don’t just assist us in evaluating others but also us. People naturally judge their selves and assess their character by the clothes they wear. This is usually a result of how a certain dress makes you feel at an exact moment.
Enclothed cognition suggests that the impression of wearing something can affect your choice of behavior and attitude.
How Clothes Impact Your Thinking
Dressing smartly is vital to your confidence and self-empowerment. Your clothes don’t just convey your style but also sends signals to your brain. In fact, it could affect your thinking to an extent.
One research study on the effect of clothes on the way you think suggests that professional attire promotes abstract thinking. It helps create social boundaries and distance and increases your capacity to think in abstract terms.
Your style of decision-making will be affected by your formal dress. So your tie and suit might be providing you with an additional perspective that could be very helpful in gaining promoted.
According to the same study students who wear formal clothes to college have a greater tendency towards abstract thinking processes.
Thin-Slicing
Thin-slicing is a mental process which is responsible for dealing with visual information instantaneously. It gives you the intuition, gut feeling or impression of a person or thing.
The brain responds to new stimulus in a matter of milliseconds. Do you ever feel that one person is more stable and reliable than another? It is because of the thin-slicing process that you are still judging books by their cover.
Thin-slicing is why it’s important that you be picky about your personal presentation, and the clothes you wear play crucial to your appearance. Keep in mind that the world is a stage, and your attire can influence the role you play.
Let’s examine the effect certain clothes can influence your attitude.
Gym Clothes
What are you going to do when you’re lacking motivation to workout? To get your mind ready, you can put on your athletic wear. You’ll feel more inspired to exercise as you put on your workout clothes. What’s the reason?
Your gym clothes can set the mood and encourage you to maintain your fitness. You can alter your attitude by wearing specific clothes and set yourself up for a particular role.
Uniforms
Your clothes influence your behavior and attitude, and how you think. Uniforms are clothing that is associated with specific roles and expected behaviors. Uniforms help you become more informed about your job.
It also helps you feel more responsible, which will help you be more aware of the things you’re expected to perform. Your coat may also inspire you to pay greater focus on the task at hand, making it less likely that you will make mistakes and errors.
Students at school must also recognize the psychological significance of uniforms. Different studies reveal that children perform better when they are wearing uniforms. Uniforms help make school more valuable and worthwhile.
Suits
Why do you think you’re dressing for success when you wear a suit jacket? Have you ever heard the phrase “dress for the job that you want, not for the job you have?’ It is apparent that formal dressing can make a big impression on how you think and how you perceive your business or job.
Formal clothes and office attire like dress suits have the ability to place your mind in the right framework for you to begin working. These clothes make you feel more confident and energized. Many refer to it as “power clothing“.
The brain produces chemicals that enable you to appear powerful when you are wearing powerful clothes. This helps you become a better negotiator and abstract thinker.
Test It For Yourself
Once you understand the way your clothing choice can affect your mood and your thinking process, here’s how you can experiment with different pieces. This can uplift your mood and help you achieve more success in your personal and professional life.
Colors
Colors are associated with specific meanings and can boost your mood in no time. Therefore, you should pick the appropriate colors that will influence your behavior, emotions and confidence.
- Bright colors like yellow can make you feel happy
- Blue is a colour that symbolizes professionalism and peace of mind. It helps to build a sense trust
- A darker shade of blue is a sign of consistency and trust
- Red can make you feel excited and sensual so wear red when you are looking to be sexy
- Wearing black gives you a sense of power and control
- The color purple symbolizes mysticism and spirituality
- Brown can be worn to make you appear more grounded and trustworthy.
- Orange radiates enthusiasm
- Pink is a color that can make you feel more romantic
- Wear white to achieve a clean and focused mental and emotional state
- The color green is soothing and healing effects
Fabrics
Your attitude and approach can be influenced by clothes you pick.
- Wool and cotton fabrics promote more tranquility, which helps to bring a more relaxed attitude to life.
- Silk and other fabrics which feel soft against your skin can improve your mood and decrease stress.
Prints and embellishment
We’ll now move to embellishments and prints. These aspects can also control your emotions.
- Sequins and other types of embellishments can provide you with a a sense of fun as well as excitement
- Animal prints, such as stripes of tigers can help create whimsical feelings
Bottom line
Your mood, motivation, confidence, and behavior throughout the day may be affected by how you dress and what clothes you choose. The colors and styles you choose to wear can have a significant impact on your thinking and impact the way you feel. It is essential to select your clothing carefully.
