In 2015 I read Mind What You Wear The Psychology of Fashion by Karen J. Pine. The book analyses the relationship between the states of mind and the clothing choices people make and vice-versa: how much the choice of clothing may influence the moods.
The author refers to studies made in this subject that lead to conclude that people’s mood affects directly the choice of clothing, and that could explain why women would need a more varied wardrobe since they may have a more varied set of emotions to deal with. Other studies referred in the book reveal also that the way people dress in the morning influences directly one’s self-esteem and the way the person sees him or herself throughout the day, which leads to conclude that in a case of depression we have a vicious circle: the person is down so the person doesn’t feel like looking her best and therefore the person continues down. This cycle could be broken if the person would be forced to wear clothes that would make the person look and feel good and as a consequence the person would actually feel better and more self confident. Karen believes that light cases of depression could benefit as much from this measure as from the use of medicines. In fact, the way we present ourselves to the world has an influence in ourselves, not as much for the way the others see us, but especially for the way we see ourselves and the message we send to our inner self through the choices we make.
Another interesting point that the studies have reached is that people feel either more either less responsible for their actions, tending to a certain behavior when they are using a specific type of clothing, for example: a nurse’s uniform or a vestment equal to the one of a certain group, decharacterizing the person and ones’s own actions. This interesting behavioral point will lead to more investigations and a closer look on the subject.
In difficult times we really have to lift ourselves up and one simple way to do that is through the choices we make when we get up. Choosing the look that will embrace us through the day and the face with which we will face the world: a smile does wonders for the face and for the soul since it has been proven that the act of smiling lifts one mood.
A part of this “look”, almost as important as what we see is what we smell. As a kid I have always been passionate about perfumes and how they seemed to be linked to emotional states. I had the dream to create a fragrance. And now with essential oils I am actually doing it. I have created a fragrance to myself, a combination of essential oils with certain emotional and physical benefits that I wish to have everyday. And besides smelling delicious they are not harmful at all for the skin or the body (once absorbed by the skin). On the contrary they will bring me greater benefits more than any alcohol based blend. I also create house fragrances according to the properties of essential oils and the state of the home at that moment. So the house gets a signature scent and I am taking natural beneficial compounds to my lungs through my breathing.
The studies featured in Mind What You Wear The Psychology of Fashion by Karen J. Pine seem to make a lot of sense. The best version of ourselves wouldn’t wear or use or apply anything less than something that we loved and would spoil ourselves daily, as if we were a baby or someone whom we truly loved (and aren’t we?). We would act more with the perception that everyday counts, every act counts, every drop counts. It is therefore better to have less and good than a lot lacking quality. So let’s give ourselves the daily treatment we really deserve and sparkle up our lives!
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