Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Dress Happy Experiment
10:23 PM | Posted by
Tara B. |
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Several reputable studies indicate not only a correlation, but a strong causal relationship between perceived mood and clothing choice among women. It makes sense to me, that I am less likely to want to "dress happy" when I'm feeling down in the dumps. Generally, on days when I am exceptionally irritable, I am likely to put less effort into dressing myself. On days when I am feeling unsure of myself, I am likely to try on several outfits, second guess and pass on all of them, finally settling on something muted. When my mood is elevated, I am most likely to reach for pieces that reflect my emotions outwardly- something bright, beautiful, or exceptionally eye-catching.
Anthropologie Laced With Grace Dress
Anthropologie Anemone Bloom Cardigan
Ann Taylor Crystal Necklace
UO Suede Pump
Clothing, then, can be, and often is, an expression of mood and/or emotion (and there is a significant difference between the two terms.) In this respect, dressing is quite similar to facial expressions: a pair of bright red heels is a big, confident smile; a black cardigan, a knitted brow. It is a well-known fact that there exists a positive feedback loop between facial expressions and emotion. What this means is that not only does feeling happy lead you to smile, but the act of smiling itself engages certain neural pathways, leading to a secretion of certain chemicals in your body and, eventually, to the experience of the emotion our brain recognizes as "happy." "Fake it till you make it" really does work, to a significant degree, when it comes to our emotions.
This recollection of high school psychology got me thinking...if my clothes are a little like my facial expressions, and my facial expressions can dictate my emotions, could dressing "happy" really make me feel happier? It was a slightly weird idea, and one I had not read much research on, but since I had nothing to lose- I doubt at the end of an unpleasant day, my one regret would be wearing a pretty dress- I gave it a shot. I can honestly say that I started out my morning feeling overwhelmed and uncertain, and as my day wore on, my mood improved a great deal, and not for any obviously apparent reason. I accomplished less than I had hoped to, and came across more than a handful of irritating phenomena that, on most days, would probably have affected my mood for longer than they did today. In spite of everything, I am pleased to note that I am in quite a pleasant state of mind as of this minute.
I realize this may just be a fluke, so before I make up my mind, I plan on continuing this experiment for the next six days- Sunday through Friday this coming week. Each day, I will "dress happy", and go about my day as I normally would. I intend to keep a mental log of my mood throughout the week, and am very interested to see what comes of this little exercise. Anyone else up for the challenge?
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40 comments:
Hmmm...super interesting. I didn't know about the "feedback loop" mechanism between emotions and facial expressions...I'm up for the challenge. I'd like to see if this works for me. I'll be starting tomorrow. Great post!
These pics are crazy beautiful.
Ok, I think I need to get red shoes now......you really wear yours with such a wide variety of outfits....i love it!
I'm glad to hear it worked for you today! I actually do this all the time - if I have a big conference deadline coming up or some other stressful situation I know I'm going to face, then I wear one of my favorite pieces of clothing to help put me in a positive mood. I imagine this is the thinking behind "power ties" and such things. I think it'll be a fun experiment - can't wait to hear how it goes.
I'm down with this theory. I should try it myself, actually.
Beautiful, as always, too!
I didn't realize the distinction between mood and emotion. I guess I should have named my cat Emotion, instead of Moody.
I've just recently begun photographing my outfits and I've noticed I tend to wear more monochromatic and muted colors (more so in the fall and winter months). I really want to challenge myself to wear bright/cheerful colors, however, I feel self-conscious doing so.
Also, your outfit looks fresh and cheerful, you are stunning- as always!
Fantastic outfit! What a bold, creative pairing :)
As for your experiment, I'll join you, starting tomorrow. I have nothing to lose!
How I love the laced with grace dress on you. I myself got the dress too, but I haven't worn it yet.. (it just a little hard to style it for me :( ).
Good point Tara. I haven't really given much thought to how my mood affects the way i dress and vice versa. I think how exhausted I am tends to dictate the way i dress. Like each morning, i'm so tired that all i want to do is put on a simple black or grey work dress! hehe.
Great set of pictures too. I can tell that you are in a happy state in your life right now. Beautiful!!
Anon @ 4.05AM: Only someone with a really sorry grasp of English would construe such a hopeful, happy post the way you did. Jealous? Or perhaps a few classes at your local community college are in order? :)
Also, I have a super awesome tip for you: don't like something you see online? Don't read it! Or better yet, get your own blog :)
GOSH!! YOU ARE SO PRETTY!!
i think you have really expressed happiness through this look!! cant wait to see the other looks
Jennifer
http://monchinee.blogspot.com
At the anonymous commenter who posted here before (4.05am) :
I read your comment when I woke up this morning, and it irritated me so much, I had to come back to say something. I know you'll come back here to see if you got a rise out of anyone, because people like you usually do. Any attention is good attention, huh?
Well, my message to you is this: If the topics discussed here are too complicated for your brain to follow, or if you are too shallow to care about anything other than clothes, you are still in luck- just scroll past the words and look only at the pictures. But for those of us who are actually interested in more than just the "pwetty colows", please don't try to take this away from us. We love this blog the way it is. It's a thinking woman's style blog. Apparently, you don't fit into that category. So just skip past these words and keep staring at the pics ;)
Hahahaha Amen @ comments above! Great post, as usual Tara. I've *kinda* tried what you're saying, and had some amount of success, but I'm up giving it another shot. Just one problem...I don't really have a lot of "happy" clothes! Most of my clothes cater to my usual subdued self :/
Most beautiful outfit I have seen with the Laced w/ Grace dress so far. Very lovely dress, but very hard to wear, because of its unique sleeves and the unusual shade of green. This outfit is stunning.
Oh and I am wearing my yellow J.Crew coat today, which is one of my happy clothes. I have noticed it makes me feel happier when I put it on. I'll volunteer to join you in your 1 week experiment. I have some neglected happy clothes in my closet that will be very "happy" to finally get worn :)
I have a theory- maybe "happy clothes" work the way color therapy does- certain colors evoke certain emotional responses in people.
But in your post you also mention "beautiful or eyecatching" clothes, so I wonder if clothes can have that effect on you without the color factor? Like when I think polka dot dress, I think words like "fun", or "happy"
Unfortunately I am allergic to polka dots. But you have the b&w Anthro polka dot dress, so maybe you could try it and tell us if it works?
I don't know if I would have ever put this outfit combo together, and its beautiful! I usually dress worse when I'm stressed out, sad or angry (though blogging has helped cure some of that), so I would love to try your happy experiment with you.
Http://Tolookforstyle.Blogspot.com
Tara, I am a regular reader of your blog (and an official follower, yay giveaway!) and I read the offensive comment in question. When I first read it, the image in my mind was such: "some poor, lonely girl is sitting at her computer at 4 in the morning, looking at beautiful stuff, and feeling bad that her own life sucks...how sad"
I mean think about it... only a really bitter person...someone with a really, really shitty life...would read the words "I am in quite a pleasant state of mind"(taken from your post) and interpret it as "whining"...no?
I think you're an unusually kind, sensitive and smart woman. I hope you can find it in your heart to feel pity rather than anger towards this poor anon commenter.
-steph
Hi steph: Point noted. Thank you for providing an easier-to-swallow alternative to my own perspective. At the very least, pity is less burdensome an emotion to carry on my back than anger, so I'll follow your advice. Thank you for your comment. Really.
In my experience, dressing happier definitely makes me happier. Thats why one of my New Years resolutions was to wear a dress or skirt at least twice a week... I find it easy to slip into a slump (black dress pants and easy top), but when I start my day by making a little effort in what I wear, it tends to imbue me with more confidence and can influence my outlook on the entire day :)
I loved your outfit, but I have to say I loved your shoe choice even more. When I was scrolling down I was thinking, what a cute combo and then I got to the shoes and I did a double take. I would never have paired the red shoes with that outfit but it looks fantastic!
Also-I fake it till you make it all the time. In fact, I have alot of psychology tricks up my sleeve that work wonders for myself-CBT works for me all the time! On the days I feel the lowest I try to dress my best, and it truly makes me feel better. Can't wait to see your outfits!
If you were shooting for "happy", you definitely nailed it with this particular outfit. Plus if I looked like you, I'd be happy just getting out of bed everyday.
Another thought-provoking post, like I have come to expect from this blog.
This was one of my new year's resolution i posted about...well kinda. One of resolutions was to wear more dresses because they make me feel better and happier, and i've totally failed so far :( so i will use your post as inspiration and tomorrow i will dress happier by wearing a dress!
norma
p.s. what's your lipstick color?? looks great
Hi Norma: My lip color is actually a gloss, not a lipstick, although the pigment is dense enough that it provides great coverage and looks like a lipstick. It's Revlon Colorstay Mineral Lipglaze in Continuous Coral.
I adore this outfit and the shoes totally rock! Can you expand on the store you got them from, i'm from the UK so i'm not sure what UO stands for
Hey Twigart: The shoes are from Urban Outfitters. here's the link for them: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=17037151&navAction=jump&navCount=
Hope this helps :)
Tara, I know for a fact that the way I dress effects my mood. I usually reach for lots of color; that's what I am most comfortable in. I find when I force myself into neutrals, I feel a bit more somber. Also, when I'm just feeling crappy and not so cute, I actually push myself to grab a lovely frock and printed cardigan in resistance to the mood. And I always feel better doing so... Your outfit here made my heart dance a bit. LOOK AT THE COLOR! I love it. Beautifully put together. I look forward to reading your experiment log. Great post, as always!
Oh Tara, what a beautiful choice in colors - the stitching detail on the sweater really pairs well with the lace details of the dress. And the shoes, they always upgrade any outfit!
I thank you for sharing this concept and I wholeheartedly agree that wearing something you really enjoy and feel beautiful in transcends to your spirits and emotions for the day. I'm definitely up for the challenge!
U look gorgeous Tara, love the dress n cardigan colors together...=D
I will definitely be challenging myself to "dress happy" this week! It has been much too cold to wear skirts or dresses where I am for quite some time and I've found myself becoming frustrated with my clothes rather than enjoying them. Hopefully this challenge will re-awaken my love for playing dress up! I also wrote about a related topic on my blog this week - dressing in a way that allows you to enjoy life no matter the situation or the weather!
Thanks once again for the inspiration,
Kelsey
http://truenorthchic.blogspot.com
Anon @ 7.15: You have a small brain, and an ugly soul.
Oh, and also, you have a really pathetic life if you actually make time to visit successful blogs and try to make other people as sad as you are. I feel so sorry for you.
**giggles**
Well put.
Anon @ 7.15pm: It must make you so mad that Tara is so awesome huh? A lot of us understand the feeling and fully sympathize with your feelings of inadequacy. Hugs.
My previous comment was meant to be sarcastic, but it dawned on me that since Anon@7.15pm is so obviously an imbecile, she would probably think I was really being serious. Just to clarify:
Anon@7.15: I have no sympathy for ugly people like you. A little pity and a whole lot of disgust? Yes. Go drown yourself in a bucket of your own hatred, you sad sack of ugly.
Anon @ 7.15pm: It must make you so mad that Tara is so awesome huh? A lot of us understand the feeling and fully sympathize with your feelings of inadequacy. Hugs.
In my experience, dressing happier definitely makes me happier. Thats why one of my New Years resolutions was to wear a dress or skirt at least twice a week... I find it easy to slip into a slump (black dress pants and easy top), but when I start my day by making a little effort in what I wear, it tends to imbue me with more confidence and can influence my outlook on the entire day :)
Tara, I am a regular reader of your blog (and an official follower, yay giveaway!) and I read the offensive comment in question. When I first read it, the image in my mind was such: "some poor, lonely girl is sitting at her computer at 4 in the morning, looking at beautiful stuff, and feeling bad that her own life sucks...how sad"
I mean think about it... only a really bitter person...someone with a really, really shitty life...would read the words "I am in quite a pleasant state of mind"(taken from your post) and interpret it as "whining"...no?
I think you're an unusually kind, sensitive and smart woman. I hope you can find it in your heart to feel pity rather than anger towards this poor anon commenter.
-steph
I don't know if I would have ever put this outfit combo together, and its beautiful! I usually dress worse when I'm stressed out, sad or angry (though blogging has helped cure some of that), so I would love to try your happy experiment with you.
Http://Tolookforstyle.Blogspot.com
Most beautiful outfit I have seen with the Laced w/ Grace dress so far. Very lovely dress, but very hard to wear, because of its unique sleeves and the unusual shade of green. This outfit is stunning.
Oh and I am wearing my yellow J.Crew coat today, which is one of my happy clothes. I have noticed it makes me feel happier when I put it on. I'll volunteer to join you in your 1 week experiment. I have some neglected happy clothes in my closet that will be very "happy" to finally get worn :)
Ok, I think I need to get red shoes now......you really wear yours with such a wide variety of outfits....i love it!
Hmmm...super interesting. I didn't know about the "feedback loop" mechanism between emotions and facial expressions...I'm up for the challenge. I'd like to see if this works for me. I'll be starting tomorrow. Great post!
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