Those matching socks, or the flashy jacket, or the color-block tracksuit. Whatever you wore today, you look good. You feel good too. You’re satisfied and proud of yourself. You feel unstoppable. Then life hits, and you get carried away with something else. Your outfit only becomes a distant memory from the few minutes you admired yourself. But the euphoria of a matching outfit, which is commonly disregarded as short-term happiness, could actually have much more longevity than given credit for. 

The psychology behind the saying “look good, feel good” is one of complex nature and takes place inconspicuously. It all has to do with a term called self-efficacy. 

“The ability to have determination in self that whatever current challenge you’re undergoing, that you feel confident enough to perform it at a high level” is how Massachusetts General Hospital clinical psychologist Jonathan Jenkins defined self-efficacy.

In other words, Jenkins believes that clothes actually can dictate how well you perform in doing whatever it is you do.

For example, lots of athletes often have good luck charms. Whether it’s a small chain, a lucky ring, or even a stinky sock, clothes are connected superstitiously to the minds of athletes. With these clothes, if they’ve seen success, memories of their performance on the day they succeeded subconsciously drive them to perform well.

Another term that governs the psychology behind dressing well is enclothed cognition. Enclothed cognition has to do with the impact your clothes can have on others and the impact that their clothes have on you.

The reason why clothes have impact is because of the symbolic meaning they carry. For example, if you wear a suit, you’re sending a message you’ve taken the time to dress well and you care about your appearance. Therefore, if somebody else shows up in a polo, your suit may make them feel embarrassed since they’re dressed less professionally. Being better dressed in the workplace also can fuel your motivation to work. Since you’re wearing clothes meant to work in, your mind is automatically geared towards getting ready to work. 

“You feel a little bit more hype and swagger in your step,” said Jenkins, in support of enclothed cognition. 

So if you’re ever feeling your performance is lacking that drive or quality you strive for, maybe try dressing better. Because although it may just seem like something trivial and materialistic, it actually has more psychological benefits than you may think.

Graphic courtesy of CREATIVEMARKET.COM