This post discusses how to style your way to happiness in 5 easy tips!
You can learn a lot about someone by looking at how they dress, whether it’s their income, cultural beliefs, or unique personality traits.
It’s a big part of our first impression of people and what they say about us. But did you know the clothes we wear can actually influence our own mental health?
In this post, we’ll dig into exactly why that is and how you can use fashion to style your way to happiness with 5 easy tips.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
How Fashion Affects Mental Health
Fashion has a long, rich history of shaping how we see ourselves and the world around us, acting as a mask or a message we choose to convey.
However, the clothes we wear may also evoke positive or negative sentiments within ourselves.
Fashion affects our emotions through social perception, personal associations, and physical comfort.
It’s an idea known as “enclothed cognition,” which explores how clothes alter our mindset.
For instance, a nice set of clothing can inspire feelings of strength and confidence, while clothes that don’t align with our personal style or are ill-fitting can make us feel uncomfortable or harm our body image.
It may seem odd, but understanding the power of the wardrobe could potentially boost your mental health.
Styling Your Way to Happiness
Now that we understand how fashion influences our emotions, let’s talk about how to do it on purpose. Here are 5 tips to help style your way to happiness!
Try Using Color
If you’re ever looking to elevate your mood, try using color. Humans love color because we have an emotional connection to it.
Take a red rose, for instance. When we see it, we automatically conjure up images of couples and love.
Hence, we associate the color red with romance. It’s the same concept.
So, whenever you want to feel light and positive, consider wearing bright colors like yellow, orange, and pink.
These hues inspire feelings of joy, excitement, happiness, and warmth.
When going for a more peaceful or tranquil demeanor, opt for cool colors like blue, green, and white.
Pigments like these may help reduce stress and anxiety, promoting more calming energy.
Also, you don’t need to make any major changes to your wardrobe, a small pop of color such as a scarf or hat will do just fine.
Suggestion
Here is an airy white dress to brighten the mood. Comes in different colors.
Stick to What’s Comfortable
Wearing clothing that is itchy, chafing, restrictive, or just downright uncomfortable can lead to feelings of irritation and stress.
This may cause poor concentration and impatience with tasks or the people around you.
However, dressing in comfortable clothing, whether loose, smooth, or soft, can uplift your spirits by helping move freely and feel relaxed.
That’s why experts often recommend wearing loose-fitting or airy fabrics to bed.
These can be light, breathable fabrics such as big t-shirts, joggers, sweats, leggings, hoodies, and dresses.
Suggestion
Here’s a soft hoodie sweatshirt that’s great for comfort. Comes in many different colors.
Play With Patterns
Another tip for styling your way to happiness is by playing with different patterns.
Include a range of designs, even ones you’ve never considered like geometric, floral, stripes, polka-dots, plaids, etc,…
The idea is to infuse your personality and add a little spice to your wardrobe. This can make getting dressed a lot more fun and creative.
You can mix and match, go bold, or be slightly reserved.
We are at our best when we’re in creation mode; experiment and use your imagination to feel happy and empowered.
Suggestion
Here’s a flowy floral print kimono to spice up your outfit. Comes in many different colors.
Go for Layers
Layering, much like playing with patterns, offers both versatility and creativity.
It allows you to have fun with different colors, textures, and styles, making getting dressed more exciting.
Layering your clothes can also enhance comfort by giving you more options.
Add extra layers for warmth or remove them to cool down, reducing irritation and discomfort.
You can do this by simply adding a cardigan over your tank top or an extra coat.
Suggestion
Here is a sleek, long puffer coat that is perfect for layering. Comes in different colors.
Add a Statement Piece
Adding a statement piece to your wardrobe is an easy way to elevate your mood.
It sparks imagination, lets you express your style to the world, and boosts your self-esteem.
When choosing a statement piece, go for items that resonate with your sense of style.
This could be a flashy necklace, a bright scarf, or a pair of cool-looking socks. Remember, it doesn’t take much to lift your spirits.
Suggestion
Here is a thick, eye-catching chain necklace. The Paperclip comes in different colors.
Fashion For the Soul
You may start to wonder by now if this entire post was just a clever way for me to talk about fashion and to that I say…yes. Yes, it was.
Nevertheless, you can still use the information above to help improve your mood and your wardrobe at the same time.
So, try it. At the very least, you may learn something new about yourself.
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them down below or visit my contact page. It’s somewhere up there.
IF YOU LIKED THIS POST, CHECK OUT SOME OF MY OTHERS: 15 FOODS TO BOOST YOUR MOOD & SIMPLE WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR EVERYDAY MENTAL HEALTH!
Photo by Alexandra Gorn on Unsplash
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