We may not know it but our fashion choices might be influencing how other people see us or perceive us. In turn, this influences how they interact with us. For example, we see a person dressed drastically different from us, we deduce that they might have different likes and hobbies, and that we won’t like each other. Thus, you’ll put off actually talking to the person or even just meeting them. We don’t date men with cars we think makes him look like a “loser.” We are influenced by other people’s fashion choices and so do our fashion choices influence other people, positively or negatively.
Drive an expensive car
People judge us by the car we drive. If you drive a 10-year old car with dings on the sides and peeling paint, people are most likely to judge you as someone who can’t afford a new car or even repairs for the old one. If you drive a Porsche Carrera or a Mercedes Benz, people will think that you have a lot of money to splurge on your car. And they will be more likely to date you, befriend you, and talk to you.
Dress more conservatively to be promoted
Research suggests that in the case of women, the more conservative they dress, the more respected and authoritative they are perceived. In a case study of over 129 participants where they were shown pictures of women in office clothing, with very little variance such as a button more undone on one picture or a woman wearing a skirt one inch shorter than the others, the results suggest that for managerial and corporate positions, people with longer skirt lengths and those with buttoned-up blouses are perceived to be fit for the job. However, those with shorter skirt lengths and with one button unbuttoned was not deemed fit. Nonetheless, for a receptionist position, the length of skirt and type of blouse did not make any difference.
How we dress influences our mood
In a study involving 100 women ranging from 21-64, results found that there is a possibility that wearing certain clothes affect our mood. The study suggests that wearing jeans actually puts us in a somber and slightly depressed mood. The researcher suggests that wearing jeans suggests to the observer that the person didn’t bother with picking clothes that day. To compare, wearing dresses can lead to happier moods, as it seems that the wearer put in a bit of effort to look good. However, this study doesn’t put into the equation that some people are just predisposed to wearing jeans versus people who wear dresses daily as a lifestyle choice. Nonetheless, this research suggests that no matter what your mood is, you will be perceived by other people as being in a happy mood or a depressed mood just based on your dress alone. Our lifestyle choices don’t just affect us. It influences other people on how they see us and how they will interact with us in the future. Fashion indeed influences life choices.
