…and what people wear when they are happy.
Jeans are what women are most likely to wear when depressed, a survey finds.
Most likely to accompany it is a baggy top or sweatshirt, the research also found.
When happy, though, women were more likely to wear something well-cut and made from bright and beautiful fabrics.
Only one-third would wear jeans when feeling happy.
Hats and favourite shoes were also popular when in a good mood, along with jewellery.
Professor Karen Pine, co-author of the study, said:
“This finding shows that clothing doesn’t just influence others, it reflects and influences the wearer’s mood too.
Many of the women in this study felt they could alter their mood by changing what they wore.
This demonstrates the psychological power of clothing and how the right choices could influence a person’s happiness.”
For the survey 100 women were asked about how their moods affected what they wore.
It found that happy clothes tended to enhance women’s figures and were more likely to be brightly coloured.
It also found that:
- Favourite shoes were 5 times more likely to be worn when women felt happy (31% versus 6%).
- Hat wearing doubled when women were happy.
Professor Pine said:
“Jeans don’t look great on everyone.
They are often poorly cut and badly fitting.
Jeans can signal that the wearer hasn’t bothered with their appearance.
People who are depressed often lose interest in how they look and don’t wish to stand out, so the correlation between depression and wearing jeans is understandable.
Most importantly, this research suggests that we can dress for happiness, but that might mean ditching the jeans.”
The book containing the study was published by the University of Hertfordshire Press (Fletcher & Pine, 2012).
Denim image from Shutterstock
Im 11 and depressed but how do i show it to others or how do i stop being depressed, or how do i tell people about it
Hi Aubrey, First of all thank you for your question and bravery! I assure you that you are not alone in this and there are many people out there that can and want to help. Depression is not commonly talked about so you may feel alone, traditionally depression is caused by invalidating experiences and a persons genetic makeup. The good news is that we can heal ourselves psychologically and we can also change our genes. There are plenty of medication options that can provide symptom relief for depression. If you are feeling really down or depressed please let a parent know, and let them know you want to get help. If you have a close friend you can sometimes start the conversation by asking them if it is ok to be sad, if they say “no” it is probably not the right person to help provide support. I highly recommend seeking mental health therapy/counseling if you are feeling depressed most days, it is really hard to feel this way and you do not have to. If you are feeling unsafe or have thoughts of self harm please call or text a crisis counselor, it is free and they can assist you in finding help. The 24/7 national crisis line number is 1-800-273-8255 or Text CONNECT to 741741.
I’ve been gathering many evidence that I might be depressed. According to most symptoms, I have depression but I’m only 12. Is there a way to show that I’m not depressed? (My friends and family know I’m going through depression.) And it makes sense because all I wear are jeans and baggy sweaters but my mom says I should wear different things but I’m comfortable in a hoodie and jeans. What do I do with that?
The clothes you decide to wear are not directly a reflection of your mood. Depression is feeling a consistently low mood over more than two weeks. Sadness comes and goes, depression can be debilitating. If you think you may be depressed it is probably best to see a doctor or therapist to help you determine if you have depression.