Why are clothes so important?
In the workplace and socially, much emphasis is placed on being well dressed. The fashion industry, knows that for the majority of women, clothes help to create personality and provide a sense of wellbeing.
In fact, there is a recognised clinical connection between dressing well and the feel good factor, the ‘Serotonin’ effect. Slowly released in the brain, serotonin in time, changes our mood from sad to happy.
Many women would like to change something about themselves a phenomenon, which psychologists have attributed to women’s constant exposure to the ‘Perfect Body’ in fashion magazines. This is known to create a negative body image and in some cases depression among girls and women of all ages.
We believe that fashion designers should be more aware of these facts, and should do more to encourage a change in attitude among women whose body image perceptions are not always positive.
What body image means and why it matters
Body Image represents the feelings and thoughts we have towards our own appearance. It is a significant factor in terms of our physical and psychological wellbeing. A positive Body Image indicates self-acceptance of who we are and what we were born with, as well as providing the facility to move ahead with ease and confidence whether working or socialising.
The ‘Perfect Body’ is an unrealistic ideal created by the promoters of fashion, to persuade us that we can look like the perfect woman if we rush out and buy certain clothes and products. Of course we all know that no matter what we do, we are never going to become 5’10” and a (UK) size 8. So let’s concentrate on reality and making the most of our figures.
Most women when dressing concentrate on areas of their bodies that they don’t like. We believe that women should focus on a part they do like. We can also make other positive changes. Perhaps a new hairstyle or different make-up to enhance our facial features, might help to increase a positive approach to our appearance.
Recognising the relationship between our thoughts and self-image
It’s very easy for us women to create a sorry internal view of ourselves. The more we focus on aspects of our bodies that we might not like, the more negative and lacking in confidence we become about our appearance. It is therefore crucial to introduce positive messages to the brain and to tell ourselves that we look good and can achieve whatever we want to with our appearance. Finding clothes that perfectly suit and fit one’s body shape will help create that positive self-image.
Dressing with confidence
The question is, what is confidence? It could be described as a mixture of self-esteem and self-dependency. It is about mastering a set of skills, achieving goals and dealing successfully with our everyday lives. To maintain self-esteem, we need to build our core abilities.
The same criteria apply when it comes to dressing. To build confidence in the way we dress is often a matter of creating an individual style in order to feel elegant and comfortable. Once the style is established we create an aura and energy which imparts satisfaction. The confident woman is easy to recognise, she is calmer, more relaxed, and she knows what she wants to achieve.