We’ve seen the power of beautiful jewelry firsthand: how it raises the spirits of the wearer, making her (or him) radiate and appear more attractive to others. The same applies to fashion. Your wardrobe speaks volumes to those around you, down to the color you choose to wear.
In one experiment, researchers photographed people in different colored clothes and then asked participants to rate the attractiveness of people in the resulting photos. They found that the color of clothing affects the way in which men rate both males’ and females’ attractiveness, and how women rate men’s attractiveness. Interestingly however, clothing color did not influence women’s judgement of other females (Roberts et al, 2000).6
So the next time you’re putting together an outfit for the day, ask yourself:
What message am I sending to the world?
Is it in alignment with how I feel about myself?
What could I wear that makes me feel more empowered?
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should constantly “dress to impress.” First and foremost, you should dress to impress yourself. Because when you do, the confidence you feel will do the rest.
Sometimes self-esteem is an outside-in job.
