Do you think that there is a link between the way you think and the way you dress? Some psychologists from the Manchester Met partnered with academics from the Manchester Fashion Institute, and together they came up with an answer to the question. They studied the way people look at their images, how they identify themselves and the way people dress and they looked for a link between these things and the psychology of a human being.
Their main aim was to find the impact that the use of technology in the fashion industry would have on people’s psychology. The technology would get used in scanning bodies in 3D, and there would be virtual try-on. How would this affect how people dress and how they view their bodies?
3D scanning
To better understand the impact of fashion on psychology, we must first understand the kind of technology that got studied. 3D scanning enables the user to get better measurements for clothes as opposed to the traditional means of using tape measures. The information would then get sent to a designer who could then come up with a well-fitting outfit for the client.
However, this method faces criticism as many argue that the models used in the scanning process have unrealistic body types. As such, the clothes designed can only fit slender people, and many people get left out in the process which borders on discrimination. The effects of such scanning can have negative impacts on the psychology of much heavier people who feel that their needs get ignored by designers.
It can get seen that the way one looks affects how they feel and can have an effect on what they choose to wear. As such, fashion gets dictated by a person’s body image, and if you feel good about yourself, you will feel more confident trying on all kinds of clothing.
Clothing fit issues
Have you ever admired clothing, tried it on and it did not fit? How did that make you feel? Studies show that the fit of a piece of clothing can have effects on the human psychology, more so when it comes to women. When you put on something, and it fits you just right, there is that feeling of pleasure that envelops you as you feel proud of your body. On the other hand, when you try on something, and it does not look good on you, you can get disappointed about it.
The researchers got women to try on different outfits, and they asked them questions about how they felt about the clothes. The results showed that some women used the clothes as feedback from their bodies in that when the fit, they felt proud of their anatomy and when they didn’t, they suffered a blow to their confidence levels.
It got noted that heavier women tended to use clothes as a way to cover up their bodies whereas those who had lower BMI used clothing as a way to show off their confidence. Others also wore clothes as a way to feel happy. When trying on clothes using body shapers, most women felt confident about the way they looked.
It got noted that heavier women tended to use clothes as a way to cover up their bodies whereas those who had lower BMI used clothing as a way to show off their confidence. Others also wore clothes as a way to feel happy. When trying on clothes using body shapers, most women felt confident about the way they looked.