The clothing you choose in the morning may very well set the tone for your eating habits. If you have your ears to the ground you are already aware of how the colors of the clothing we choose portray our emotions. One study showed that “more than 96% of people report a change in their emotional state with a change in their style of dressing.” There are multitudes of avenues to discuss how clothing depicts our behaviors.
Plant-based clothing to plant-based diets
Plant-based diets have gained popularity due to their numerous environmental and health benefits. A piece of research discovered that the vitamins and minerals in plants help keep your cells healthy so that your immune system can function at its best. As most (and hopefully all) of us are aware, the fashion industry, particularly fast fashion, can be harmful to our environment. Vegan clothing is growing worldwide and picking up value…
Some examples from today include:
If you want to be the “it girl/boy” you need to wear eco-friendly clothing. According to WGSN, since sustainably made clothing is more expensive and harder for people to attain, the popularity and attractiveness is significantly higher nowadays.
Tight or loose clothing
Style preferences are a desire to increase confidence. As our society is moving away from diet culture (thank goodness) we need to consider the impacts of choosing to wear tight or loose clothing.
Our self-esteem can be raised or damaged depending on how clothing fits us. The only solution we have seen is to create a combination of wearing a tight clothing item with a loose one. The fact you could pull off both styles at one time gives you the biggest serotonin boost choosing one or the other. According to research the higher your confidence in your body, the healthier you will eat. According to an article,
”“Body satisfaction and appreciation has been linked to better overall wellbeing and fewer unhealthy dieting behaviors.”
Reframe, not refresh
Yes, clothes affect self-perception and that leads to our behaviors… We are “manifesting” our lives in reaction to our own choice of clothing. Identity ties into clothing choices of course.
Enclothed Cognition enlightens us about lifestyle habits rooted in the form of dress. The first to introduce the concept of Enclothed Cognition showed that “the experience of wearing certain clothes could trigger an associated symbolic meaning that consequently affects the wearer’s psychological processes and behavior.”
A name for the COVID-19 era of wearing sweats all the time… the clothes-foods congruence phenomenon.
This is defined as “the perceived clothes-food congruence makes formally dressed consumers more likely to choose a healthy food item, whereas informal dress is likely to lead consumers to select an unhealthy food item.”
Formal clothes = self-controlled and organized. Informal clothes = carefree and relaxed. Go ahead and dress yourself up!
I know some of you are thinking “but why do I see pictures of people wearing sweat sets and eating healthy?”
You could argue conversely that comfort clothes boost self-esteem and confidence, increasing your serotonin, and promoting healthy eating habits. This is why some may find eating healthy to be easier when wearing loose, baggy, or at home pj’s.
Now what…
1. Affirmations! Talk yourself up. Affirmations of your body in the mirror changes your lifestyle…really
2. Take confidence boosting pictures of your outfits. Embrace your own style. The best proven way to love your eating habits is to love and embrace yourself and what you love. Loving the clothes you pick out is the most important part of boosted esteem and confidence turbo boosting your healthy habits.
3. Journal, Journal, Journal. Self-awareness leads to progress.
4. Last but not least, do some deep-breathing. You will save your stress hormones and spare some overeating to keep you feeling your best all day.
