Look closely at your wardrobe if you have too many clothes but nothing to wear. When you know your best personal colors, how to dress your body type, and the desired image you can build a wardrobe that reflects your authentic self.  You will also save money, and time and have less stress.

Enclothed Cognition

Did you know that your chosen style and clothes reveal your mood, health, and overall confidence? This phenomenon is called enclothed cognition. Enclothed cognition captures clothes’ systematic influence on the wearer’s psychological processes. Enclosed cognition involves the co-occurrence of two independent factors–the symbolic meaning of the clothes and the physical experience of wearing them, according to scientists Adam Hajo and Adam D. Galinsky, both professors at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Enclothed cognition is part of a larger field of research that examines how humans think with both their brains and bodies, an area of study known as embodied cognition.

For example, when you know your colors, your clothes can boost your confidence. Wearing your best colors will make you feel more attractive and alert. On the other hand, wearing colors that don’t suit you can make you look tired and washed out. So if you want to shop smarter and save time, it pays to know which colors work best for you.

Clothes, Body Language, and Your Image

How we dress also affects our body language and how others perceive us. When we wear clothing congruent with the image we want to project, we are more likely to behave in ways that align with that image. For example, if you want to be seen as competent and professional, dressing in business attire will help convey that message. On the other hand, jeans and a t-shirt might be a better choice if you’re going for a more relaxed look. Clothing can therefore be used as a tool to influence our behavior and how others see and interact with us. For example, if you feel blue, wearing bright colors may not take you out of your funk, but better to take a day off and wear tactilely comfortable clothes like a cashmere jumpsuit or sweats.

Detox the Closet and Destress

It may be time for a closet detox if your wardrobe is full of clothes but nothing to wear. An excellent place to start is by evaluating your style and considering what kind of image you want to project. From there, you can begin purging items that don’t fit your desired image or no longer serve a purpose in your life. Once you’ve pared down your wardrobe, take some time to organize everything, so it’s easy to find what you need when getting dressed each day. Again, a little upfront effort can save you time and frustration.

Be Authentic

If you are not authentic and have not done your work on your feelings, attitudes, self-talk, and actions, your presence will not read true, nor will your outfit. Be true to yourself, know yourself and by being authentic, you will find the right place for you and draw the people with whom you will be comfortable.

A person had told me how she deliberately dressed out of her typical conservative character, dressed as a biker, and entered a bar: biker guys and nobody with a suit approached her. Then, no surprise, Birds of a feather approached her.