It is important not only how others evaluate us, but also how we evaluate ourselves. What is the connection between our outfit and our self-confidence?
“Clothes are needed only to cover the body”, “clothing does not make a man”, “a cassock does not make a monk”, and so on and so forth. The Italian psychotherapist Gennaro Romagnoli agrees with this point of view.1. However, he clarifies that clothes are still part of us. “We all know that in one way or another our appearance, its relevance and relevance to the situation can help us achieve our goals. True, it is usually believed that this is due to the impression that we were able to make on others. But some researchers, quite rightly, wonder whether clothing influences the behavior of the person who chooses it.
Pass the tests
- What our clothes say about us
An experiment conducted in 2012 by Northwestern University is proof of this. All participants were given exactly the same task and exactly the same white coats and divided into two groups: the first was told that this was a medical uniform, and the second – that it was the artists’ work clothes. Those who were convinced that they were wearing a doctor’s coat approached the task more carefully and attentively. And this means that our clothes matter – not only for others, but also for ourselves. And that you should dress not the way you feel, but the way you would like to feel. What makes you feel attractive? Seductive? And persuasive? The clothes you choose are a message not only to others, but also to yourself. This must be used.
Read more:
- What does transparent clothing reveal?
That same year, Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner, a clinical psychologist, published You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Say About You.2, where she writes, for example, that the common friendly advice to go shopping or just dress up in response to our complaint about a bad day, a failed interview, or a breakup with a partner is not without meaning at all: “When you dress a certain way, it also promotes internal changes. We all notice something similar when we put on make-up, for example, and even actors admit how much the costume of the hero helps them to get into character. All this works in everyday life.
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- Clothes for going out
If we talk about the influence of clothing not on adults, but on children and adolescents, then most studies are devoted to the problem of school and student uniforms. There is a lot of controversy around this topic: is the same clothes good or bad? Does it help to create some kind of equality among students? Or hinders the self-expression of each of them? And is it true that uniform contributes to academic success? Needless to say, scholars have yet to agree. Let’s say David L. Brunsma and Kerry A. Rockquemore studied data from 5000 American sophomores2, did not see a direct relationship between the mandatory wearing of a uniform and attendance, academic performance and student behavior. What’s more, according to their research, students who weren’t required to wear a uniform performed better on standardized tests. But Virginia Draa of Youngstown State University thinks differently: after analyzing data from 64 schools in Ohio from 1994 to 2002 and talking with the leaders of these schools, she came to the conclusion that school uniform has a positive effect for discipline and grades.
Read more:
- Confidence can be taught
When choosing a costume, adults also still think about the assessment from other people. Because clothing is also one of the indicators of economic and social status. As an example, Dr. Baumgartner cites the American television series Real Housewives: “Just look at how obsessed they are with money, with designers, with labels … Clothes and accessories are their way of determining their place in the coordinate system and their weapon against others. This is their opportunity to prove their superiority over others.”
For those who, for one reason or another, do not chase the outfits of eminent couturiers, but want to look decent, Jennifer Baumgartner recommends turning to a win-win option – to the classics. Pumps, blazer and, yes, a little black dress. “History has already done all the work for you. Over the years, such clothing has already proven its worth. It performs many functions and is suitable for people of all ages and body types. The classic has become a classic precisely because this style has already been tested by time and “works” always – no matter who you are.”
1 On my blog www.psicologianeurolinguistica.net
2 «You Are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Reveal About You» (Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2012).