All the merits of getting dressed up
There was a time, you’ll remember it when we could leave the house and get dressed up for parties and the like. Often more fun than the party itself, we would spend hours getting ready, days planning our outfit, months thinking about it (ok, we exaggerate). But, the moment comes, the compliments come flying in, the drama, the thrill. Now all of that is over. Or is it?
#Dressupfriday has taken over our feeds and people are relishing the many psychological benefits of not spending every day in the same pair of joggers. “My closet of skin-tight denim, complicated shirting, black silhouettes… is my luxe armour” Kay Barron, NET-A-PORTER’s Fashion Director, spills.
“It has seen me through everything. And, right now, that armour is more important to me than ever.”
Marie Claire’s Penny Goldstone agrees: “I am also a control freak at the best of times…” she admits, “but one aspect I can still control is my wardrobe.” For Who What Wear’s Kristen Nichol, getting more dressed up at home is an “entirely mood-boosting form of self-care.” Some have taken to replicating their commute, transporting their handbag from their bedroom to their desk and popping it alongside them as they would do at work – Tic Tacs spilling out and all.
There is something empowering about getting dressed up. Scientists have coined it ‘enclothed cognition’ – the idea that clothes affect how we think. One study found that when researchers gave a group a series of cognitive tests, those in business dress felt more powerful and more in control of the situation – and apparently showed more intellect and creativity – than those in casual clothing. So maybe clothes give power (what we always love to hear).
Another study found people dressed in doctor’s lab coats focused more attentively on a set of tasks and made less mistakes than those in their usual get-ups. These may have been lab coats but we’ll take them as those great tapered, leather trousers or that amazing, billowy boyfriend shirt. There is something about getting dressed in the right gear that gives off positivity. It says to yourself (and for those Zoom calls too) ‘we’ve got this’.
Dressing up also projects a really important sense of self. If your vibe is athleisure, perfect. If you love luxe cashmere hoodies, amazing. But if you love lightweight tailoring and clean-line slip dresses, wear them. Dressing up can feel a bit frivolous in a time like this, but we should be allowed to do things we love and relish the moments and time we have for these.
Maybe you want to add routine to your day by changing after that heavy work session. You could make your daily exercise your moment to carry that sculptural, leather bucket bag. Perhaps dress up for that Saturday Deliveroo like you would if you were going out for dinner. If all those spring clothes in your wardrobe, gathering dust, starting to feel like museum relics, makes you sad, wear them. Lockdown says stay inside but we say ‘FREE THE CLOTHES’. You’ll feel better for it, trust us.