Is there a relationship between clothes and mood? My entire life I’ve struggled with anxiety and bouts of low self confidence. Often during those times my instinct is to pull the curtains closed, stay in pajamas, and watch TV in bed all day. But when I do that, my mood often goes from bad to worse.
And what about when you can’t stay in bed all day? When we have responsibilities, commitments, things to do?
This day I woke up in a very bad mood. Oh sure, there were reasons…I had to cancel my trip home to my family in Canada due to changing restrictions with Covid-19, I missed calling in one day to my jury duty (the scary recorded voice saying I was in default of jury duty…omg!), and my 15 year old son acts like we are the enemy and he hates us.
I had every excuse to stay in bed and soak in the depression, but I couldn’t. I had to go to the gym with Marc (he is blind and can’t go without me). I had errands that HAD to be done. Things that couldn’t wait.
So I decided instead of just throwing on baggy jeans and a tshirt (what I really wanted to do) I would explore whether putting myself together would actually improve my mood or not. I’d been reading a lot about this lately and I wanted to experiment with myself. I put in some self care – hair, makeup, and a cute outfit.
I had bought this dress a while ago, on sale, and it sat there taunting me, because I hadn’t worn it yet. I actually looked up the return policy…was it too late to return it? It was. So I decided I had to wear it. I HATE when I buy something and it sits unworn in my closet…that’s what I strive to avoid with each purchase.
Being in a foul mood, my husband was already a little scared. This dress is a little fussy the first wearing…it has ties on the shoulder — which is actually a good thing because often those straps are too long or too short (if they aren’t adjustable). But I must have made him re-tie them 37 times…too tight…too loose…uneven…bow too far forward…bow too far back…yeah, I know, my poor husband.
Then I looked in the mirror. WHY DO MY ARMS LOOK SO FAT TODAY?! That’s what I said! My internal mood was just showing up on the outside. UGH. So I threw on my very old kimono/cardigan from Anthropologie plus my Sam Edelman Tihana tie sandals that I KNOW are comfortable.
In the car I was still in a bad mood. I had a headache, it was too hot, the sun was too bright, my husband’s breathing was too loud hahaha. I texted Rachel a picture and she responded “cute!” I responded with “don’t feel cute…wish I’d returned it!” But it wasn’t the dress. It was ME.
So we did our errands, went all the places we needed to go, and I even spotted myself a few times in mirrors. I slowly started softening. And I kept getting compliments on what I was wearing…from strangers and friends and family. And I started softening even more and soon I was feeling back to normal (especially after a yummy lunch…food makes everything better, I think)!
Well the moral of the story is that yes, I do think we can change our mood / attitude / inner feelings by doing the things that normally make us feel better — for me that is wearing the cute clothes, putting on a little makeup, and styling my hair.
What about you? Do you find a relationship between clothes and mood? Is it worth putting in the effort to get out of a funk?
My particular dress is on sale and comes in 3 colors (black, red, green). I am wearing a size medium — I think it runs small and I usually have to size up in European brands.
Here’s a sampling of some of the articles I had been reading on this subject. It’s kind of fascinating to learn about this stuff.
7 Ways Your Clothes Change The Way You Think
Dopamine Dressing – Can You Dress Yourself Happy?
Can What You Wear Affect Your Mood?
