Have you ever put on an outfit that made you feel like a million dollars? Gifted some piece of clothing from a relative and felt lucky wherever you wore it? Put together a look that made you feel like you had the confidence to do anything?
If you answered yes for any of these questions, you are not alone: what we wear affects how we feel. During a time of such uncertainty, it’s important that we find proper outlets to express ourselves, and clothing can come in handy to do just that…
When my grandfather passed away three years ago, I was given his army pin. I turned it into an earring and whenever I wore it, felt like he was on my shoulder cheering me on. If you love fashion as much as I do, then you’ll totally be able to relate to the feeling of how good it feels to wear something that makes you feel like the best version of yourself.
Because we love fashion, we decided to ask some creatives a simple question: How does what you wear affect how you feel? Their answers prove that sometimes when you feel your best on the outside, it can change the way you feel about yourself on the inside.
In the past, when I’ve felt kind of low about something—a break up, a job falling through or just any sort of difficult transition, I like to put more thought into my outfits as a way to focus on what I do have control over and the small ways that I can make my day better. At such times, I might wear a silk item or choose a minty-blue color—both a color and a texture that I love on my body.
I’ve really started to value comfort in a way I never used to. When I was younger, I would squeeze my feet into second-hand shoes that felt like they were destroying my feet. I would also wear pants that dug into me and shirts that would come undone if I made any sudden movements. Now, I wear elastic pants and clogs when I have a lot of work to do, and I feel much more productive when my feet are comfortable and when I can breathe—lol. That said, I believe that a comfortable outfit can still be chic when done right.
Vita Haas, Co-Founder of the Retail Creative Cafe Forgot
The act of dressing is a visceral one. Synonymous with the body, the act of dressing asks our exterior to transcend beyond the physical, dipping a hand into the ink of our emotions (aka our closets) we outline ourselves with feeling, and for those who are strong, with vulnerability. We learn to shade anxiety with dark hues and volume, coloring hopefulness with kitten heels and longing with silk.
Dressing is a power to wield with awareness, it is a reflection of the knowledge of self, alongside a willingness to writhe in our own becoming and to be seen while we squirm.
Lindsey Okubo, published writer, lover of Comme des Garçons
Christina Tung, Founder of House Of PR and Jewelry Label SVNR
Fashion has always been a crucial denominator to assess my daily mood. How so? Easy. When I wear an outfit that I deem “good”, I feel unstoppable. Limitless. Like nothing in the world can stop me. I go to work feeling confident in a good outfit, because it is a reflection – unconsciously or not – of how my day will go. Fashion is, after all, a means of expression to the outside world, whether intentionally or not.
And when I’m wearing an outfit I admire, I know that I won’t be intimidated by my environment. On the contrary. At the least, for self-respect, and at the most, plain respect towards others, fashion is to me a way to express a current state of mind. And the better the outfit, the better that state.
Cassia Halabi Carter, digital coordinator FashionNetwork and freelance fashion journalist
I always try to wear clothes that make me feel happy and self-assured. There’s so much constantly going on in our personal daily lives and worldwide, I try to use my personal style as a beacon and safe haven of happiness. Combating social change I have focused more of my wardrobe around designers who are making efforts towards eco consciousness and sustainablilty such as Nanushka, Octobre, Westward Leaning, and Jacquemus while shopping at sites such at The Real Real for vintage and consigned designer pieces.Ty Gaskins, Writer, Stylist, and Public Relations Professional
I have a relationship with my clothing. It is more complex than “dress well to feel well”. It is more of a dressing to align with the still small voice in my head (corny, I understand; please chill).
The closer I get to match it, the more peace I feel. Meaning, if I’m feeling somber and the clothing I put on speaks that in some way, I feel heard and therefore connected with myself.
The tragedy is when my clothing is a reaction to something on the outside; something that was said to me, a pressure I absorbed; another compass or catalyst. Last Monday, I dressed like a space cowboy so I felt like a space cowboy. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a Disney Channel pop star, but I realized I couldn’t sing so the rest of my life has since just been an alternative reroute. I work in fashion PR, but I tell myself I’m an artist. I changed my name to Anna Canada for my work email because I thought I still deserved a stage name. Somehow also relevant: should I ever be arrested for a crime, it would be for “disturbing the peace”.
Anna McCorriston, In-House PR at ACNE Studios
I very much subscribe to the idea that fashion is an armor to protect one self from the world. I try to make sure that I’m presentable for the world in any social situation regardless of my mood—whether it be to take out the garbage, to go to dinner with friends, or to go to work. You never know who you will see or what situation you’ll end up in. I do feel better or more attractive when I’m wearing an item of clothing that I love or excited to wear for the first time, and I have found that certain pieces have emotional value—positive and negative. My personal style very much is a reflection of who I am, it’s minimal, but I try to mix it up and stand out when I feel like it, but it allows my personality to shine.
Lindsey Solomon, PR extraordinaire
I very much subscribe to the idea that fashion is an armor to protect oneself from the world. I try to make sure that I’m presentable for the world in any social situation regardless of my mood—whether it be to take out the garbage, to go to dinner with friends, or to go to work.
You never know who you will see or what situation you’ll end up in.
I do feel better or more attractive when I’m wearing an item of clothing that I love or excited to wear for the first time, and I have found that certain pieces have emotional value — positive and negative. My personal style very much is a reflection of who I am: it’s minimal, but I try to mix it up and stand out when I feel like it, but it allows my personality to shine.
Rachel Bowles, Designer and Artist