Do clothes reflect a woman’s character and what does fashion psychology say?

Women’s clothing and fashion have long been scrutinized, dissected, and analyzed by both genders. There is always someone who has something to say about a woman‘s character, whether it is in class, at work, or even at the club.  

We project our desired self-image onto others by the clothes we wear, sending strong signals to both friends and strangers. But how many of us are genuinely aware of the psychology behind how people in the street or at work perceive our clothing choices, and how this perception may diverge from the one we think we’re trying to convey?

“Dress is a systematic technique of transmitting information about the wearer,” according to researcher Mary Lynn Damhorst. Clothing is a potent communication tool since it has a significant impact on the message a person conveys. What you wear matters a lot when it comes to conveying confidence and skill and making a good first impression. Whether you agree or disagree, a guy is defined by his clothes. Science demonstrates that people’s perceptions of a man can change.

According to fashion psychology, we can get closer to the desired personal brand by using color, styling, and fit. 

Color psychology: Utilizing the psychological effects of color, you may maximize the impact of fashion on your initial impression. Don’t choose colors at random; instead, consider each option carefully.

How to be seen as more formal: Men and women were asked about how their clothes affected their opinions when making decisions at work by researcher Yoon-Hee Kwon of Northern Illinois University. According to Kwon’s research, males believed that dressing appropriately for the workplace improved the likelihood that they would convey that they were intellectual, competent, knowledgeable, honest, and reliable. Particularly black and grey, dark colors have a more professional feel. Wrap scarves, bulky jewelry, and other accessories take away from your formality. Simple accents and sleek silhouettes are preferable if you want to come out as more formal. The Limited, Calvin Klein and Armani are professional labels that produce excellent workwear on the top end. This Fashionista blog post lists some fantastic retailers that offer reasonably priced workwear.

How to be seen as more professional:

Even though you don’t have to spend a fortune on clothing, you still need to make sure that everything fits properly. That applies to both men and women. Doubtful if you want to project a professional image. The associate professor of psychology at Oregon State University, Frank Bernieri, Ph.D., claims that a job candidate’s suitability for the position may be judged within the first 10 seconds of an interview. According to Bernieri, “well-tailored clothing shows that you’re diligent and pay great attention to detail.”

A study conducted by Timothy Brown and his colleagues from the Old Dominion University Department of Psychology examined how students’ perceptions of people’s beauty and masculinity or femininity were impacted by their wardrobe choices. In both sexes, posture and movement were found to have an impact on how persons were perceived as being masculine or feminine, which was directly related to how others perceived their attractiveness. Particularly among men, wearing tight clothing instead of baggy clothing contributed to impressions of greater masculinity. 

Naturally, the cultural values of the society in which a person lives influence many of the findings from a study on the psychology of fashion and clothing choices. For instance, depending on the nation a restaurant is located in, red may be perceived to have different qualities than those valued by participants in Guéguen and Jacob’s waitress experiment. This is because of cultural differences in how color is interpreted.

We should also keep in mind that how people are perceived is rarely solely determined by their superficial clothing choices. Brown’s research on clothing and attractiveness showed that body language can also have an impact. And as the English author William Hazlitt warned, “Those who make their apparel a principal part of themselves, will, in general, become of no more value than their dress,” those of us with poor fashion sense will generally become of no more value than our clothing.