8 Ways Clothes Can Improve Your Mood
You know those days where absolutely everything goes right? You get your coffee order with your name spelled correctly, traffic is a breeze, your favorite song pumps you up right before parking your car, and then when you head into work, your boss calls for a half-day? Those kinds of days don’t happen nearly enough, but there are ways to brighten your spirits without a full day of perfect outcomes. How? Music. Time with friends. Even extra time in your go-to comfy clothes.
Clothes often make the difference between a good day and a bad one. Sometimes you wake up with half the energy you expected, and when you get dressed, you put on clothes that resemble the way you feel—mundane clothes that don’t make you feel special. Other days, you put on your favorite dress and most comfortable shoes and are ready to take on the world.
Here are ways that clothes can help improve your mood and put a positive spin on the day no matter the time of year.
1. When Clothes Draw in Compliments
There are times when you try something new, a bit more dazzle. The mundane has gotten stale, and you think: what better than to add a small change. A necklace or a fashion scarf, that blue blazer perhaps. People will ask you if you got your hair cut, but no, it's just added zest.
A tunic, leggings, new ankle boots, and a stunning necklace, and boom, you're getting compliments left and right. When the new outfit draws in praise from friends, family, or even the cashier at the market, it’s hard not to smile and feel appreciated.
2. When Your Clothes Make You Feel Confident at Work
Let's say you have an extra hour in the morning and you're not exactly sure what to do with that time. Don’t be tempted to spend that time tossing and turning in bed, instead, grab your iron and do a solid pressing of your button-up shirt and dress pants. Get a lint roller to make the whole get-up spotless.
By completing a few simple morning tasks, you’ll feel like a million bucks when walking into the office. This will play into how you do your job that day, the confidence you exude in meetings, and even how you answer annoying emails. When you feel good, you’re more likely to treat others with kindness, too.
3. When Your Clothes Make You Feel Pulled Together for Errands
Even when wearing your casual, everyday clothes, you can still add some pep to your step and sunshine to your outlook by choosing the right outfit for you. When running an afternoon errand or picking up your kids from soccer practice.
Think of your favorite casual day outfit—maybe it’s one of your fit and flare dresses or one of your cozy flannel shirts—and plan to run your errands in that outfit. You can always hop right back into your slippers and sweatpants when you get home, but for a couple of hours, you can dive into that feel-good energy that your favorite casual top or dress can bring you.
4. When You Know Your Jeans are a Perfect Fit
There’s a reason why celebrities have tailors who make sure their clothes are a perfect fit for an upcoming movie premiere or awards show. Outfits that fit perfectly and are made for your every curve are ideal for looking and feeling good. By purchasing a pair of classic jeans that are your perfect fit, you’ll have an item you can grab for any occasion and will know they’ll have you looking stylish all year.
Having jeans that are a perfect fit makes your mornings easier too. Getting started right away without having to question whether or not they'll look good is a great step in the day. Cutting down on your decision-making process in the morning can help you focus on the bigger things—which will cut down on stress and let you feel happier all day.
5. When You Put on a Special Occasion Outfit
That sleeveless jersey dress that you were saving for a special occasion may have been bought with a unique intention, but today is today, and hey, why not wear it if you’re feeling it?
When you find a dress or a shirt that might not feel like a Tuesday type of outfit, give it a go and see if that boosts your mood. You might be surprised. Perhaps it's winter, and wearing a floral button-up shirt seems odd in theory but is what you truly want to wear to brighten your spirits? Wear it. Your mood is more important than old-fashioned fashion rules.
6. When You Opt for a Bright Outfit to Brighten Your Mood
Wearing brighter clothes on those "grey days" can impress a brighter mood upon you. You may not be feeling sky blue, but you'd be surprised that people will approach you based on the colors you're wearing. Try it out with a bright-colored sweater or tunic! Plus, just looking in the mirror and seeing yourself in a bright-colored dress is a way to lift your mood, too. Bright colors are synonymous with a great mood—why else are colorful stickers and pictures such a smile-inducer?
7. When You Feel Comfy and Cozy
This could be you sitting back in your favorite flannel pajamas on a day off. It could be that date night when you’re wearing your warmest cashmere sweater or a night in front of the TV in your worn-in sweatpants. The important thing is to be as snug as possible and to indulge. Such a feat may mean taking a shower beforehand and hopping right into a big sweater and leggings. Or walking into a robe and staying warm in it all day long. Schedule cozy time.
8. When You Put on a Shirt Fresh from the Dryer on a Cold Day
Have you ever put on a shirt right out of the dryer on a cool fall day and realized, "oh, well this is life itself. I should do this forever, every day." Of course, you have. You're a living, breathing, person and well, if you haven't done this we highly recommend it. A warm shirt fresh out of the dryer can have a huge impact on your day. So much so that you might make it a habit.
Clothes, and fashion as a whole, have a way of impacting our mood by making us feel more confident, more ready for certain events, or by even drawing in compliments from friends or strangers. Your clothes are powerful tools that help brighten your mood or pump you up for a day full of adventure.