Bedecked & Bejeweled: How Dressing up Increased Creativity

What you wear matters….and it’s not superficial. The symbolic power of clothing became crystal clear to me when I put on a white coat for the first time in medical school. Like magic, I became a doctor before my own eyes. Not only did I look differently, I also felt differently. I stood taller, held my head higher, and even focused better.

There is a growing body of evidence about the psychological effect of clothes. A recent study explores how wearing formal attire changes people’s thinking processes:

Putting on formal clothes makes us feel powerful, and that changes the basic way we see the world.

According to the research, wearing formal clothes promotes abstract thinking and provides perspective. In the study, those who dressed up thought more creatively than their casually dressed counterparts.

Dressing up builds confidence and is empowering. It can even help buffer against setbacks:

If you get a stinging piece of critical feedback at work, if you think about it with a concrete processing style, it’s more likely to negatively impact your self-esteem.

When looking your best and feeling strong, it is easier to see the big picture and not take criticism too personally.

Related research shows people feel more trustworthy, authoritative and competent in formal business attire than in t-shirts and jeans. Of course it depends on the work that needs to be done and on personal preferences. For those who are allergic to the idea of wearing a tie or putting on a party dress, it is doubtful the effect would hold. But for those who love getting dressed up, like yours truly, this is an excellent excuse to wear a pretty dress.

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