In my junior year of high school I took the SAT. As an insecure teenage girl, the day before the test I was talking to my friend in class about what she was going to wear, so I could plan my own outfit accordingly. My friend responded with something along the lines of a sweatshirt, sweatpants or something comfortable (which made sense, considering we were dragging ourselves out of bed on a Saturday morning for an 8 am test.) Naturally, I was on board with the plan. My teacher at the time, who had been listening to our conversation, chimed in. He said, “don’t wear sweatpants or sweatshirts. Wear a suit.” My friend and I looked at each other and laughed. First off, he was in no position to be giving fashion advice. But second, a suit? To take a test? Was he joking? My teacher then explained that the clothes you wear can actually influence the way you perform.
Clothing has grown beyond functionality and necessity, evolving into a means of communication. The clothing you wear sends messages to every person you encounter whether you intend it or not. Think about it. Have you ever looked at a stranger and made a split-second assumption about them based on what they were wearing? I know I have. It’s a subconscious, in-the-moment kind of thing. If you see someone wearing a blazer or heels you might think they look professional, sophisticated or put together.
But all you are really doing is making an assumption about them based on what they are wearing. You don’t actually know their situation. Believe it or not, when you first meet people, they have already created a persona in their head about you based on what you’re wearing and how you present yourself. Not only do clothes communicate with others, but they also subconsciously communicate a message to yourself too.
The theory of “enclothed cognition” suggests that our clothing impacts how we think. According to this theory, the clothes that we wear affect the patterns of our thoughts. The way you dress can impact your self-perception and the way you act and behave as well. In Jill Richmond and Gary Brase’s 2004 study, “The White-Coat Effect: Physician Attire and Perceived Authority, Friendliness, and Attractiveness,” they found that people acted and behaved according to the way they dressed. In this study, they gave all participants small tasks to do. Half the participants were given white doctor coats to wear, and half just stayed in their normal clothing. They found that the half that wore the white coats made less mistakes and were more detail oriented and focused than the people in normal clothes. They concluded that these results occurred because doctors are known to be focused and detail oriented, so people subconsciously took on those traits when they put on the lab coat.
So basically, what we should take away from the study is to dress the part you want to play. If you wear what’s known as ‘power clothing,’ like a blazer or suit or dress shoes, you will feel more confident and professional. It can improve your motivation, productivity and thinking skills too. Wearing casual clothing, like jeans and a t-shirt, will make you feel more personable or friendly. This can be good to wear if you’re looking to hang out with people or seem approachable. Fun fact: putting on workout clothing may motivate you to work out or just move around and make overall healthier decisions.
In reflection, choosing to wear sweatpants and a t-shirt to my SAT was not the best option for success. Wearing sweatpants subconsciously told my brain that I should relax and get back into bed. But I should have been more alert and gearing my brain up for critical thinking which was the point my teacher was originally trying to get across.
So the next time you are picking out your outfit, consider what events you have coming up, and it may just enhance your day.