When clothes worn day after day cause discomfort or stress, it stands to reason that that’s not good for mental health. And as children grow up we know they need clothes that help them to “fit in.”
So we’ll go with yes, dress matters. Be smart, read the school newsletters, listen to the children and look for dressing tips all the time.
Various sources note that people feel better when they wear the right clothes, and they may think more clearly as well. Here are some examples:
+ In research in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, the benefits of dressing like a doctor were shown as subjects made half as many mistakes on attention-demanding tasks when wearing a white lab coat.
+ In a study discussed in a Social and Psychological Science paper, people wearing business attire increased abstract thinking, which is an important aspect of strategizing.
+ In a study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, male subjects who dressed up obtained more profitable deals than two other dressed-down control groups.
Looking at choices in another way, for a book titled “Mind What You Wear: The Psychology of Fashion,” by Karen Pine, students were required to put on Superman T-shirts so the professor could assess whether it made them feel more heroic. She found wearing the T-shirt boosted their impressions of themselves and made them believe they were physically stronger than the other control groups – and more likeable.
Clothing and many, many things in the world around us impact our mental health. If you need to talk with someone about your mental and emotional health through the holidays or anytime, don’t hesitate to call us. Visit online at communityreachcenter.org or by phone at 303-853-3500 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We have centers in the north side Denver metro area of Adams County including the cities of Thornton, Westminster, Northglenn, Commerce City and Brighton.
