The Psychology of Fashion
My passions for fashion and psychology stem from the influence and creativity I experienced through working in the fashion industry for many years and facing my own health challenges. These struggles brought me to wanting to understand people and why they behave in the ways that they do. Currently in graduate school for psychology and continuing to pursue my interest in fashion, I began thinking of how these two fields are very connected, yet oddly not discussed together. Psychology seeks to understand the mind and motivation of behavior, encompassing a broad range of human experiences. The fashion industry is comprised of people in every area (consumers, designers, models, buyers, photographers, marketers, and beyond), thus the two fields must be connected on many levels!
I started wondering how fashion influences mood, emotions, and wellbeing, why people spend so much on luxury designer brands, how fashion is related to confidence, self-esteem, self-identity, depression, and anxiety, what retail therapy entails, and so much more. I discovered a plethora of fairly new research, in addition to all of those topics, some subjects including how fashion influences dating, how we communicate with the clothes we wear, the ways fashion changes the environment, and how wearing certain colors make us feel and influence our actions. Fashion has many associations to mental health, but it also has the ability to improve mental health.
Think about the time we spend looking at outfits on social media, shopping online, and viewing the latest trends from celebrities. Knowing more about the psychology behind why we do these things, and why we focus so much on fashion is really fascinating. We can learn more about ourselves and others by understanding how psychology impacts one of the most influential markets in the world. One of the main focuses of our generation is wellbeing, including the ways in which we can live healthy lifestyles. By understanding how fashion, which we are so connected with, plays a role in this way of living, we can enhance our own lives and the lives of others.
In addition to taking photos of beautiful things, I love researching and keeping myself up to date on both topics of mental health and fashion. I find happiness in sharing what I learn with my friends and family, which inspired me to create this blog, The Chic Psyche. I hope you enjoy reading and sharing these topics that will give insight to your own life.