Good Vibes: How What You Wear Can Affect Your Mood

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good vibes

Just like turning on your breakup playlist can make you moody and nostalgic, your outfit choice can have a big impact on how you feel. Think about what it’s like to put on a neon colorblock dress as you get ready for a night on the town, to step into those sturdy pumps before heading to a big job interview or to snuggle up into a cozy cardigan with a cup of coffee on a rainy Sunday morning. How do you get good vibes?

Clothes can empower us, inspire us and help give us the confidence we need to face whatever the day brings–but it’s up to us to choose wisely. From color to fabric to fit and more, here’s how what you wear can affect your mood.

Choosing Your Color

If you’ve ever taken a business class in school, you might have learned how important color choice is to marketing different products and services. In fact, companies that are involved in marketing and branding employ the principles of color psychology in an effort to influence consumers’ decisions by inspiring calmness, enhancing energy and more. Whether it’s a logo or a fresh coat of paint in a doctor’s office waiting room, in the business world, color is often chosen in a very calculated way.

You can also use color as a marketing tool for yourself, whether you’re looking to be strategic about how others perceive you or simply want to put something on that’ll help you feel happier and ready to take on the day. There are a few colors that are generally considered to evoke positive emotions, and are a great place to start if you’re looking for a way to bring on the good vibes.

  • Blue for Calm: Blue is often used in home decor to inspire calmness and peace. Especially if you choose shades that are on the more subdued side, you may be reminded of the relaxing feeling of being by the water or have good vibes. If you’re looking to put together an outfit that has soothing powers, try a pale blue dress or sweater.
  • Green for Trust: Green is another color that shows up often in branding, and that’s because it is commonly associated with safety and trust. It’s found in nature and can also help us think of the freshness that comes from the great outdoors. Green makes a lovely accent color when styled with neutrals.
  • Purple for Intrigue: Purple has a history of being a color for royals, and it has an air of mystery to it. If you’re looking to get good vibes and  inspire intrigue in others, perhaps during a first date, this color is a very special choice.
  • Red for Romance: Red roses, boxes of chocolate or a matador’s cape, red is the color of romance and also of boldness! This color is not for the faint of heart, but it can be used to inspire confidence and show off your sweet and sassy side whether you commit to an accessory or a head-to-toe look.
  • White for Positivity: Many people think of happiness and innocence when they think of the color white. If you’re looking to help inspire some positive thoughts and optimism for the future, a crisp white ensemble could give you the mood-boosting pick-me-up you’ve been longing for.
  • Yellow for Energy: Think of what it feels like to have the warmth of the summer sunshine on your face. It brings energy, brightness and can even help us feel more chipper. If it’s a rainy day outside, you can recreate the glow by becoming the sunshine in a cheerful yellow babydoll dress or pantsuit.

Focus on Fit and Fabric

Research has shown that women are more likely to put on loose clothing and pieces like baggy jeans when they’re feeling sad rather than their more form-fitting favorites.  If you’re down in the dumps, it can be easy to grab that robe or sweatsuit and sit yourself on the couch for hours watching sappy movies on TV. But if you’re hoping that will make you feel better, unfortunately, it probably will not.

To save yourself from the sadness of wallowing around when you want to get out there and go, fill your wardrobe with boutique clothing that fits you well and feels nice when you wear them. This way, even if you’re not up to planning a look, you have some go-tos ready to help boost your mood on a bad day.

  • Well-tailored clothing hugs your body just right and helps you accentuate your most flattering features. Have a few properly fitting staples in your closet so that you always have something that shows off the parts of you that you love the most.
  • In addition to tailored pieces, don’t be afraid to add some separates that have a hint of stretch in them. This way, you won’t have to feel sad if some of your other favorites are a little bit tighter than you feel comfortable in at the moment. Clothing with a little give can still be super flattering, too!
  • When it comes to fabric, this is definitely more of a personal choice. Whether you love the way silk flows against your skin or the comfort that a cozy cardigan provides, find fabrics that feel good when you wear them.

Sometimes, we have pieces of clothing that we’ve fallen in love with because we associate them with happy times in our lives. For example, if you met your boyfriend at the pumpkin patch in late September, you might smile every time you pull one of your fall maxi dresses out of the closet. Or, if grandma used to say how pretty you looked in purple, you might feel warm and fuzzy whenever you see that color at the store.

Similarly, many of us also end up with pieces of clothing in our wardrobe that remind us of sad times, like a “lucky jersey” that didn’t serve us well or a dress that we had to wear to a very unhappy occasion. If you won’t have another reason to wear that exact piece ever again, get rid of it so you don’t have to bring up those feelings when you don’t want to!

 

Dressing for Good Vibes

We have the power to choose clothing that helps us look and feel our very best, and it’s up to us to pick out clothes that support the person we want to be! From comforting colors to silky fabrics to pieces that remind us of those we love, there’s nothing better than dressing for good vibes.

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