The Profoundly Positive Power of Playing Dress Up (Especially When You Want To Wear Sweats All Day)

So much of fashion is wrapped up in the pressure to conform while simultaneously telling you that your body isn’t good enough for the “cool clothes.” But what you wear can transform your self-confidence in unexpected ways. Your personal style doesn’t have to define you. But it can be an expressive extension of yourself that doesn’t feel like a chore.

In this week’s episode of the Well+Good Podcast, we’re having a conversation with fashion psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell, MA, and wardrobe stylist Sophie Strauss to talk about the profoundly positive power of dressing up in all its forms.

Listen to the full episode:

Our outfit choices have the potential to shift more than just our moods. “We know from research and studies that clothes have the power to shape the way people think about you, the way you think about yourself, the identity you lean into, the way you feel about your body, and the way you think in general,” says Forbes-Bell. “Why not utilize all of these powers so that you can increase your well-being and just feel better in general—and also inadvertently become more sustainable?”

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Fashion choices we can be indicators of how we’re feeling inside (whether we like it or not). “The way you dress can communicate how you’re feeling that day, how you wanna be perceived that day, without ever having to tell anybody,” says Strauss, who refers to herself as a “stylist for regular people.”

Even if artistic self-expression doesn’t top your priority list, designating time to thoughtfully dress yourself is an ingenious way to reclaim some power in your daily life.

To learn more about how our clothing choices can impact our attitudes, relationships, and the world we live in, listen to the full podcast episode here.