Olumurewa Damilola

One-day, I was on my way to class and I noticed that I felt a little bit uncomfortable and insecure, I tried placing what the problem was and then alas! I found it, it was my long skirt. I was wearing a maxi skirt that felt a little bit out of my fashion preference or out of my taste of fashion so I felt uncomfortable in it which made me self conscious for the rest of that day.

This story is a pointer to the fact there is a great connection between our psychological well being and fashion. Whether we like it or not, fashion has a way of affecting our mood such that a particular outfit could automatically make you sad for the rest of a day and it could make you feel otherwise, like being over the top or happy.

Just like it affects your mood, it can also affect the way you feel about yourself. Yes, the way you dress can boost your confidence from a zero percent to an hundred. Take for instance you are wearing this lovely pant trouser with a blazer suit and all eyes are fixated on your outfit and you receive a lot of compliments on this particular outfit, how do you think you will feel? You will feel this surge of confidence emerge for no where and you will surely feel pretty confident with your interaction with people on that particular day. You won’t just feel confident, you will also be excited and elated because nobody receives nice compliments without going unflattered.

And when I say an outfit boosts your confidence, it’s not the outfit alone, the color of an outfit and your accessories have their own role to play too! Just imagine wearing an all black outfit with a black office bag and stiletto heels, how will you feel? You will feel like this successful business women at the apex of her career ( this is a personal opinion though as some feel like an all black outfit makes them look like a “mourner”). Basically, this is fashion having an effect on your psychological well being.

In addition, do you know that fashion can make you a step closer to your goal? Yeah, and this is by choosing clothes and accessories that align with your goals and aspirations. Take for example, you wear a dress motivated by a particular role model or an inspirational figure, dressing like them could make you feel equipped and motivated to do everything you are capable of doing and it could make you have the confidence and the will to pursue your goals.

In all, we should note that fashion is a way of connecting with our inner self as it reflects who we are and how we want to be viewed. So, fashion is far beyond aesthetics or a way of covering up our nakedness, it is a psychology tool that can affect our emotions, self esteem, and the way we are perceived by the world. So why not be intentional about fashion today!