When you first walk into Valentina Boutique, one of the first things that catches your eye aside from cute clothes is the wall decal that says: "I'm nicer when I like my outfit". You probably notice it, smirk, take a pic for the 'gram, and move along with your shopping. The 0.02 seconds that it takes you to read that phrase is such a small fraction of your day that you don't realize how its meaning manifests into your daily life.
As I'm sitting in bed typing up this article after a long day and wearing my go-to chill-time sweatsuit for the millionth time (brought to you by two years of WFH), I can't help but wonder how my clothes affect my mood. Long story short: I'm a *horror* to be around - I borderline *cannot* function. Am I being dramatic? Always. But hear me out.
Clothes have the power to tell a story without having to say anything. What we choose to wear innately contributes to the perception we have about ourselves and how that translates into how the outside world perceives us. Sure, I'm generally in a better mood when I enjoy what I'm wearing. But WHY?
Let's take a second to get technical—I promise I'm not making this up! There's actually a type of psychological term that encompasses our relationship and behaviour with clothing called "enclothed cognition". You might be like "girl, I just came here to shop, what are you talking about?", but think about how your mood affects what you purchase and the style of clothes you gravitate towards. Clothes oftentimes say something to you rather than something about you.
Have you ever felt "off" and forced yourself to put on your favourite top and instantly felt better? I 100% have. Personally speaking, my outfit is a HUGE factor in my mood. Have you ever gone out in an outfit that you weren't vibing with? I'm talking "ugh, I have no clothes, I have nothing to wear" moments. You simply put something on because you have to be somewhere in a rush and you're most likely sulking and overthinking every single detail about your outfit. On the flip side, how do you feel when you LOVE your outfit? The way you carry yourself is night and day.
I'm a statement piece kind-of-gal. There's nothing like a bold accessory, skirt, jacket, top...ANYTHING to spice up an outfit to make me feel confident. Others might find comfort in neutral colours, oversized pieces, flats, heels, jeans, whatever—you do you.
So why am I blabbing about this? It's because we have to get dressed every single day. There's no way around it. However, what we choose the wear literally holds so much influence in how we go about our day. We often feel frustrated between where we're at now and where we want to be, but there's an easy hack to fill that gap...outfits! You can control how you perceive yourself through clothing. Find what makes you feel like a boss a** b*tch, put that on, and kill it!!! Channel that main character energy.
Take a minute to think about it: are you nicer when you like your outfit? Why?