Image: COLLAGE: ARQUETTE COOKE P H O TO G R A P H : E D W A R D U R R U T I A

We know the effect of a mood-boosting dress or the right pair of shoes, but what about clothing that shifts our whole mental state? In a year when we’re hungry for pick-me-ups, is there more feelgood power in our wardrobes than we know?

By Jen Nurick (abridged)

In 2012, two Psychologists, Hajo Adam and Adam D. Galinsky, coined the term ‘enclothed cognition’. No, not a new term for the latest in augmented reality or artificial intelligence, but in fact a new way of thinking about the power of our wardrobes. In addition to finding that we each relate to clothing based on our personal experiences, they also found that when we put on clothes, our behaviours and mental state can in fact be altered.

In the realm of fashion, it’s a compelling thought, but in a world irrevocably changed, can slipping on a coat to transform ourselves? And can we harness this simple act to make us feel good in troubled times?

We may not realise how often what we choose to wear is dictated by our mood and how much our choices have a subsequent effect on our behaviour and confidence

With so much coded meaning attached, clothes have an impact beyond skin deep. Professor Carolyn Mair PhD, behavioural psychologist and author of The Psychology of Fashion, believes that yes, slipping on a sunshine yellow dress or a pair of lucky pants can genuinely help shift the mood, but explains it still requires mind over matter.

Read the full article here: Vogue Australia Nov20 Pieces of mind