What your Clothes Say about You?

You are what you wear. Everybody agrees that your wardrobe says a lot about your personality. Society makes quick judgment on people based on the clothes they wear. The amount of anxiety and stress could be staggering when people start murmuring about how one looks because of his outfit. What do your clothes say about you? How can you turn this social phenomenon to your advantage?

Clothing is a reflection of what we are
Clothes make the man or woman. It is just like how we can tell a snail with its shell. A person tells the world a lot of things from the clothes that he wears. People wear oversized clothing because they are secretly hiding a body part from public scrutiny. The thwarting of criticism may be the reason behind people’s clothing choices.

Your clothes reflect conflicts within
Psychology determines our clothing choices. Your choice of wardrobe can open a can of worms said Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner in her book. An individual’s clothing choices can reveal certain psychological issues that you may have. The key is to understand that your appearance could be a reflection of unresolved conflicts within. Wardrobe is assembled to reflect how you want society to see you. The closet becomes the keeper of our anxiety as we attempt to say or hide something within our clothes.

Clothing as a socio-economic indicator
Western culture uses clothing as indicator of economic or social stature. Dr. Baumgartner said people come up with a caste system when there is none. The clothes we wear bring us to where we should belong. That’s what we think. People deal with money with the way they patronize big clothing brands. They use expensive clothing to tell people where they fit in the newly created soci0-economic structure. Unfortunately, sometimes clothes are being used to put other people down.

Trend chasing
Being on the cusp of fashion can be exhilarating. We follow fashion trends that are hip because we don’t want to fall behind. People chase trends because they fear they may not fit or they fear to grow old. By choosing the kind of clothing that we think is “in” according to the latest fad we become even more comfortable in terms of facing different people as we go about our daily routine. On the other hand, some people feel that they will look less appealing if what they wear is something that is already out of fashion.

Dressing up for image
Can you judge a man by his shoes? Well, it is not that easy. No surefire clothing style can determine success. People who want to look positive should go for the classics. Classics have endured time. It is appropriate for any age and body size. It is a classic because it works no matter who you are. Clothing becomes worse when it tries to hide who you really are. Any clothing that hampers how you live your life is a red flag. If there is a certain kind of image that you would like to portray, then go ahead and dress for it. If you want to look sophisticated, then wear sophisticated clothes.  If you want to look somebody who is simple, then choose simple clothing. Remember that how you dress up can greatly affect other people’s perception about you.

Clothing’s influence
Researchers from Northwestern University introduced the term “enclothed cognition”. The study tries to describe the influence of clothes to the one who wears it. It is all about what the clothes you wear are saying to you. People’s actions are influenced by the kind of clothing they wear. Enclothed cognition is the scientific proof that certain clothing will make us feel better. The kind of clothes you wear sends a message to yourself and to the rest of the world.

The clothes you wear mean more than just self-expression. Identifying your issues can improve your wardrobe choice. Improvement in your clothing choices can be a life-changer.

About the Author:

Ryan Rivera used to suffer from anxiety attacks for seven years. He now dedicates his life in writing articles that will help people in coping with anxiety, stress, panic attacks and depression. You can read more of his writings at Calm Clinic.

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