What a person wears can say a lot about his or her personality and attitude. Moreover, every choice of clothing one chooses to wear on a specific day can reflect their current mood and mindset. For years, fashion has been treated as a form of self-expression that can symbolize different aspects of oneself. Most of the time, the media may focus on the adverse effects of fashion, particularly fast fashion, on consumerist society and the environment. However, one of the positive effects of fashion can be connected to our well-being. Here are some ways fashion positively impacts one’s mental health.
Fashion as a form of self-expression
Fashion is widely known as a great way to express your sense of self. Expressing your feelings and emotions can be fun to do in the form of mixing and matching clothes. Show off your personal style with quirky combinations or sophisticated textures. You can do anything your heart desires, as fashion has no limits when it comes to self-expression. In addition, the color of your clothes can affect how you feel on a day-to-day basis. For example, wearing warm colors like yellow and orange can brighten your mood and give you a sense of warmth, while colors like blue and purple can make you feel calmer. At the end of the day, different clothing choices can easily foster positivity to improve your mental well-being.
The little joys in retail therapy
Retail therapy is often practiced by people who can feel better when shopping and spending money on clothes. For them, this activity can be relaxing and therapeutic. If you’re someone who can relate, you may be well acquainted with how shopping can relieve stress and anxieties while becoming an effective source of happiness and satisfaction. On top of that, there is a sense of accomplishment gained every time you get to find and discover affordable yet stylish pieces of clothing from your favorite women’s boutique. Studies show that your dopamine levels increase once you purchase things that make you feel good. This might explain why shopping can be so compelling at times.
Awakens your creative spirit
Fashion usually has no limits. That is why it can effectively encourage an individual to try out new things and be creative when matching colors and patterns. At the same time, you get to enjoy combining accessories and makeup looks to complement your outfit. Customizing your old and boring tops or bottoms can also be a fun DIY activity at home. It has also become a popular and convenient trend nowadays. Fashion can even become a hobby for people who love to express themselves through creativity and imagination. The sudden boost of creativity can even kickstart your own fashion blog or YouTube channel in the future.
A means to boost your confidence
Furthermore, dressing up can give you a sense of power and confidence. Most of the time, when a person likes and feels comfortable with what they are wearing, it gives them an extra boost of confidence that can make a difference in their day. Wearing something nice may draw out a few compliments and praises from people around you, allowing you to feel good about yourself. Lovely comments from other people will most likely make your day, so this can be a significant contribution to your self-esteem and mental well-being.
A great ice breaker
One of the first things a person notices about you is your choice of clothing or your style. This can be a great way to create more friendships and relationships, even with random strangers. Fashion can be an effective conversation starter since someone might compliment your cute top or your nice bag. This makes it easier for you to bring up topics about which you can mutually discuss. As more people notice and compliment your fashion or looks, your social life can improve a lot. First impressions are always important, so looking pleasant and confident about what you’re wearing can bring more people into your circle. In addition, being surrounded by like-minded people and wholesome friendships can be a great way to improve your mental well-being.
The bottomline
Fashion can bring about positivity in a lot of different ways, as mentioned above. The way we look on the outside can affect how we feel on the inside. That is why it is best to coordinate these two aspects of our being to experience a holistic form of happiness and joy. Nowadays, society has become more accepting of different body types and unique fashion trends. This newfound acceptance can highly positively impact our mental health. Fashion can empower oneself through clothing and appearance as long as everybody wears clothes that make them feel good.
