There’s no doubt that clothing can make a statement; but, what if we told you it was powerful enough to mentally improve your day? You know the feeling you get when you wear that amazing new sweater or put on a cozy pair of soft sweatpants—turns out, there’s actual science behind that emotional response. Fashion psychology (yes, it’s a real thing!) is the study and treatment of how color, image, style, beauty, and shape affects human behavior while addressing cultural norms and cultural sensitivities. Oftentimes, we’re on autopilot…throwing on clothes without thinking of anything but perhaps the weather. But, there is a deeper, underlying relationship with our clothing according to Dr. Dawnn Karen, a fashion psychologist whose clients range from international politicians to new parents. “Clothes are something we place on our bodies every day, but we aren’t cognizant of our own relationship with them,” Karen tells Nutritious Life. “How you look and how you are perceived is a very real thing. Just as sports psychology, military psychology, and forensic psychology exist, there is a true need for this.”
