Dressing for your Mood

HOW OUR EVERYDAY MOODS AFFECT OUR OUTFIT CHOICES

By Karissa Kroll, Contributing Writer Illustrated by Jessica Tenenbaum

There are styles for every time, place and occasion, but what is often overlooked is how our outfits may vary based on our mood. Some days you may wake up with the motivation to look cute, but other days you aren’t looking to put any effort into your clothes. There are certain outfits that can best match how you feel according to the mood you happen to wake up in. On days when you feel like you could take on the world; the “boss woman” outfit is a go-to. There are several women who stand in important positions in which their outfits must reflect their professionalism. For example, members of the royal family, such as Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have an important role to fulfill and nearly always wear business attire to look the part. To achieve a CEO-worthy look, style a blazer with a pair of dress pants, or a sleek button up with a dress skirt and black heels. Wearing minimal busy accessories aside from a pair of chic, black sunglasses along with a sophisticated tote bag can accentuate the outfit even more.1 The “boss woman” look will make you feel like you are ready to take on the day and handle anything that is thrown at you. When things aren’t going your way and as a result your mood is suffering, it can be hard to figure out what to wear. Regardless of why you might not be feeling your best, looking your best will surely help to boost your mood. What makes someone feel the best about themselves varies from person to person, but you might wear your favorite pair of jeans or your cutest top that you know will draw in compliments and make you feel noticed. A flattering dress can also make you feel confident, and bold accessories, flashy materials, or a stylish heel can spice up an outfit even further, giving your attitude a boost.2

1 Taylah Brewer, “How to Wear Business Attire for Women” 2 Alyssa Coscarelli, “Looking Ahead: What An extremely common outfit among college students is the “don’t talk to me right now” outfit. This is the look you wear when you can’t be bothered to put together an outfit that takes effort. Whether you are swamped with school, work or have errands to run, an oversized hoodie or crew neck with a pair of baggy sweats or cozy leggings is a classic look for this mood. Despite the comfort of this outfit, with a pair of chunky white sneakers or a matching sweatsuit, it can still look fashionable. This model off-duty look is seen frequently among paparazzi photos. Even the most popular celebrities such as Hailey Bieber or Emily Ratajkowski are sometimes “caught” in their cosiest sweats when they aren’t wishing to be photographed.3 On a rare occasion, you wake up feeling spontaneous and creative. This is the perfect moment for the “feelin’ myself” outfit. This look allows you to take the opportunity to try out a new style, or that piece in the back of your closet that you love but haven’t felt bold enough to wear. Maybe you wear the zebra print pants that you saw on an Instagram influencer or the crazy sweater you bought thrifting that could risk drawing some odd stares.4 This look is all about stepping out of your comfort zone and wearing something you normally wouldn’t. For someone who loves to go on a cute picnic, or have a charcuterie board and wine night with their friends, we have the “flirty and feminine” outfit. This look isn’t for everyone, but is a classic and fun to wear when you ultimately want to feel girly. For this outfit, you

Does One Wear to Go Out in 2020?” 2020 3 Christian Allaire, “The Celebrity-Approved Guide to Wearing Sweats”. 2020 4 Net-A-Porter, “Shop Maximalism With An Editor” may wear a flowy maxi dress or an off the shoulder top with an airy boho skirt. Pastels, frills and florals are common among this look.5

What we wear can be a clear way of expressing how we feel. Day to day, there are countless moods that we experience. Your outfit can enhance a good mood or weigh you down when it doesn’t correlate with how you’re feeling. It’s most important to wear what makes you feel comfortable and happy so you feel confident. ■

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