Super-outfits for super-performances!
If on the one hand we have always known that clothes affect the way others see us, science shows how our clothing can have a decisive impact in our everyday life, coming to influence our mood and even our performances…
Cognitive psychology grappling with clothing
For years we have been trying to convey the concept that clothes become an integral part of a person’s way of being, and finally sociologists and psychologists have proved us right with surprising results researches . While “But how do you dress?!”, one of the most popular fashion shows in Italy, kicked off the eleventh season, as always in the name of merciless analysis of the look of the protagonist of each episode. Psychological research offers us the opportunity to approach the issue in a more conscious and constructive way.
If on the one hand we have always known that clothes affect the way others see us, science shows how our clothing can have a decisive impact in our everyday life, coming to influence our mood and even our performances.
If it’s the costume that makes the hero…
One of the first surprises that the research has in store for us is how clothing and its symbolic value affects our performance.
It has been shown that it is enough to wear a Superman t-shirt to feel stronger and more positive, somehow taking on the virtues of one’s hero.
In a 2012 study at Northwestern University, researchers found that when faced with the association between a garment and the medical profession, the wearer showed better results on cognitive tests than those who, wearing the same garment, were convinced it was a painter’s gown.
This phenomenon, in cognitive psychology, is called the priming effect, and implies that whoever wears a suit must be able to attribute a symbolic value to it, in order to make it his own.
So it happens that sometimes, to give us a boost, we choose to wear clothes that somehow embody the values we want to assimilate. Our outfit, whether fun, creative or professional, will be the inspiration we need at that moment in our life.
It has also been shown that there is a tendency to give greater confidence to people dressed like us, and this becomes doubly important when considering choosing work clothes.
What about work clothes, then? Is it possible for a company to turn its employees into heroes?
The charm of the uniform
Work uniforms can have a disruptive effect on employee relationships and performance. We are not the ones to say it, but an authoritative research published in the scientific journal Evolution and Human Behavior. Indeed, studies have shown that people who wear professional clothes can more easily collaborate than others. An excellent explanation of why many companies ask their employees to wear formal clothes even to those whose work does not require contact with the public.
In women who hold important roles there is a tendency to appreciate more rigorous outfits, while for men tailored clothing with a tailored cut gives a more confident and reliable appearance.
It has also been shown that there is a tendency to give greater confidence to people dressed like us, and this becomes doubly important when considering choosing work clothes.
It is worth asking: who is my audience?
What values am I trying to convey?
Sometimes it is enough to make small adjustments and focus on small details to change the impression of ourselves, at the risk of wearing underwear with the S of superman!
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