Your Clothes Matter
No. 17
Clothing is a daily element in all of our lives. Yet from a societal standpoint, it has often been deemed "frivolous, irrelevant, self-indulgent." The list goes on. Sure, it can appear that way at times on the surface, but I'm here to tell you that it's not those things. Clothing is important.
Aside from the fundamental purposes of clothing — protecting yourself from the elements and environments in which you live, allows you to abide laws (literally having to cover parts of your bodies), expressing and fulfilling your cultural, gender, and religious choices, and adhere to the social groups you participate in — it's a tool that does more for you than it does for the people who are looking at you.
Yes, perception is an integral part of clothing. All of us make immediate interpretations the moment we look at someone else based on their clothing and attributes. It's a natural brain trigger that sends all the right messages to the right places when this happens, and it's not rooted in poor judgment or ill intention.
While it's good to know how perception can influence you, what I want you to pay more attention to is how you perceive yourself. Flip the script, look into the mirror, and turn the observation inward.
In 2012, a study was conducted resulting in the coined terminology, "enclothed cognition." I won't get into the science weeds with you here, but I will say that this study resulted in something very important — a greater understanding of how an article of clothing with symbolic meaning can, in fact, impact your performance. I'll add that clothing can influence your moods, behaviors, and relationships.
The study, in short, consisted of multiple groups of people and multiple tests. A group was given white coats and told they were wearing doctor's lab coats. They were to complete timed tasks alongside another group of people in plain clothing. The second time, another group was added, this time, with white lab coats they were told were artist's smocks. With multiple tests, each time, the group in the doctor's coats outperformed their peer groups.
What this means is that the clothing you wear each day influences your self-perception and engagement in all aspects of life. Sure, people wear uniforms (Steve Jobs), but that has become a part of their own identity, a shield of armor in many ways.
Clothing impacts your performance whether you like it or not. Start paying attention to how what you wear makes you feel, how it changes your body language, tonality, or tempo. How you're engaging in your relationships with others and yourself.
Style Select
You Need This White Tee
A seemingly simple t-shirt that’s ubiquitous and undoubtedly in your closet isn’t always the easiest to find the right fit. Your preferences may be different than mine when it comes to this simple staple, but I will say, this soft tee from Ninety Percent is my go-to, and my clients are loving it.
Made from organic cotton-jersey with a hint of stretch. Wear it under sweaters and knits in the winter and break it out with jeans and blazers or skirts as the warmer weather arrives.
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Would You Buy This in a Store Today?
If you missed it last week, the time is now to start cleaning out your closet. To get started, start small with your sock drawers and then move into the baskets and rails.
To keep the closet momentum going, make your closet efficient with these upgraded tools:
Huggable Hangers - Be extra kind to your draped garments and let them live on the soft velvety finish of these hangers. Likely to avoid that dreaded hanger shoulder indent from wire/plastic hangers.
Portable Steamer - Removes the wrinkles more effectively than the iron in a fraction of the time. Minimal setup required efficient results achieved.
Cedar Balls - Protect your valuable pieces when not reaching for them frequently against moths, mildew, and unwanted odors.
Laundress Fabric Refresh Spray - To extend garment longevity, spritz on clothing to keep clothes odor-reduced and ready for multi-wear between washes.
Wrinkle Release Spray - When there’s no time to steam or need to smooth out a tiny part of your garment, give it a spritz. Added scent if you go for a flavored aroma, or keep it strictly functional with unscented.
Static Guard - Remove the unruly friction from everything, including your silky treasures.
After you’ve cleaned out, what are you going to do with clothing and accessories that won’t remain? Consider these few options:
Donations: Anything that’s intact, with no holes or stains that you’re willing to pass along to a new home, take to a nearby donation center. In St. Louis, I take clothing to NCJW The Resale Shop.
Disposal: Mismatched socks, worn undergarments, items with holes, deep stains, or odors should be properly disposed of.
Resale: The circular fashion economy has been growing in popularity over the past decade, and it’s only growing from here. There are endless local stores and online resources to sell a range of high-low pieces that you’re ready to let go of. A few in St. Louis: BYRD, May’s Place, The Vault Luxury Resale. Online: The RealReal, ThredUp, Poshmark, to name a few of very many!