How Our Fashion Sense Reflects our Moods
You and your friends probably love shopping and going out together. As you grow closer, you realize that one of them seems to be wearing jeans or a jacket all the time! It’s either jeans, jacket, or both, regardless of the scorching heat outside.
It’s not just your friend either, but other people seem to be wearing the same piece of clothing every day. You start to wonder if wearing a hat or jacket all the time has negative consequences, such as collapsing under the intense heat.
Or going bald when wearing a hat, but nothing that a hair loss shampoo cannot undo for people in the Philippines. Upon doing some research and talking to friends, clothes could mean more than just preference, but possibly a reflection of how a person could be feeling.
Why?
A study has shown that women who were feeling sad or depressed were more likely to wear jeans, a baggy outfit, or a sweatshirt. This is compared to those who were happy, opting for their favorite clothes like dresses, jewelry, or anything that makes them feel more confident (including jeans).
The study was conducted with 100 women interviewed, aged 21-64, with around 73% shopping for clothes every few months; according to 96% of the participants, they believed that what they wore affected how they felt.
Karen Pine, the author of the study, had the following findings. To be more specific with clothing preferences and feelings, 51% of the women would resort to jeans when feeling sad while 33% would wear jeans when feeling happy.
So the question is if people still wore jeans when happy, why was the majority of the population still inclined to wear jeans and baggy clothes when feeling depressed? Jeans are important types of clothes and are highly functional.
However, they have become so ubiquitous because everyone seems to have a few pairs around. People still wear them a lot but are more inclined to wear their favorite styles and dresses when feeling good. Jeans also don’t look good on everyone and decrease the chances of standing out.
So it’s no surprise why people feeling down just settle for them as they are an easy choice and do not require much effort. Shauna Heathman, a consultant from South Carolina, observed that the result of Pines’ study was expected.
People who are sad do not think about looking their best, and choosing among a myriad of clothes would seem like a waste of time. Conversely, people feeling good would wear clothes that accentuate their figure or styles that appeal to their preferences.
Heathman also stated that the study could have been more in-depth and considered as well the preferences of the participants (especially for people who liked wearing jeans, happy or sad), the weather, and how men would relate their feelings with what they wear.
Dressing for Purpose
In the end, we cannot fully identify and understand another person’s feelings simply by what they’re wearing. They are indicators, but other factors to consider also include convenience, practicality preference, and the person’s mood sans the clothes they wear.
The study by Pines confirms that there is indeed a strong connection between peoples’ mood and their clothing preferences, but should consider the other variables as well.
Now you’re probably more understanding as to why your friend continues to wear a jacket and jeans during the summertime. Could she be sad? Nope, she just loves wearing jeans because of their functionality.
