Dressed? Or well dressed? Know why the difference matters
You might not think you need to dress well in your home office, while home schooling, or while online shopping. You might think "Nah..." I will just wear my sweatpants, it doesn't matter.
But think again.
Research tells us that clothing directly affects our mood, attitude and confidence. It can enhance our psychological state and improve our performance of tasks. We can achieve more when we feel we are well dressed.
"Clothing doesn't just influence others, it reflects and influences the wearer's mood," Dr. Karen Pine said regarding her University of Hertfordshire study that examined the connection between women's emotional states and what they wore. "Many of the women felt they could alter their mood by changing what they wore."
Psychologists like Dr. Pine aside, there's another profession that's all too aware of the connection between our minds and fashion choices: Costume designers. Their work focuses on picking apparel that can further the message a writer or director is working toward, acting as a tangible tell for something that's brewing inside a character's head or heart.
"If you're feeling like your life completely sucks, you want to wrap yourself in a cozy, old sweater," explains Alonzo Wilson, the costume designer on TNT's Good Behaviour. And if your current mood is an exasperated happy-hour-can't-come-soon-enough? "You want to shed clothes and strip away the pain."
Professional athletes know this truth too. Game day? There's suits and ties, dresses and nice shoes; sharp dressed men and women coming to compete with the mentality of "I've got this"-- and the outfit to match.
