As a kid, was there anything sweeter than staying in your PJs all weekend, watching TV and enjoying life without adult responsibility?
It’s a sad reality to come to terms with but apparently dressing daggy is not the right thing to do when you’re having a hard time. For the sake of your mental health, it’s best to re-program your conditioned fashion choice of saggy and extra-daggy for when you’re feeling low.
When we’re not feeling our best and don’t have a solid idea of what we want to do with our day, our emotions take over and dodgy fashion choices are likely to be born, professor Alyssa Dana Adomaitis told The Huffington Post.
So without further ado, here are some scenarios that inspire dressing like an absolute troll, and the iconic fashion choices best suited to cure that funk:
The ‘Massive Brekkie’ Bad Day
You’ve accidentally downed six Weet-Bix when you probably should’ve stuck to three. Today is not the day for vintage denim. I repeat: do not wear jeans.
According to Andrew Reilly, a professor in culture, gender and appearance at the University of Hawaii, it important to choose clothes you’re “psychologically comfortable in,” he told HuffPo. Some individuals may wear clothes that are “on trend” despite feeling uneasy in them, according to Rielly this can cause greater stress.
Wear: a super stretchy pair of flattering pants. Invest in a neutral colour as they go with everything. Bonus points if the button doesn’t dig in.
The ‘I-Accidentally-Binged-Netflix-Till-2AM’ Bad Day
You’ve binge-watched a series the night before that you promised yourself you’d “take slow.” You wake up a handful of hours later and have zero will to live or to put on something ‘presentable.’ Kim Johnson, A professor at the University of Minnesota, told Huffpo that people are “social animals…we get a boost from positive responses and reactions from others.” By wearing a complimented item again you trick yourself into experiencing a confidence boost.
Wear: something simple with “that accessory,” the one that everyone compliments. Your brain is functioning at a low level so don’t get fancy. Go with basic colours.
The ‘I-Shouldn’t-Have-Gotten-Mid-Week-Drunk’ Bad Day
It’s a Thursday and you’re crusty. You’ve either gotten wine-drunk with a roommate or that “casual drink” at the pub turned into eight schooners. You’re paranoid everyone at uni/work will notice how destroyed you feel. Dressing more formally than usual can alter your thoughts, according to a 2015 study from California State University-Northridge. Psychology professor, Abraham Rutchick says that people feel a greater sense of power in formal clothing.
Wear: Something that absolutely does not reflect your inner turmoil. This is the day to pair something fashionable: a blazer, fancy slacks or neat shirt, with something casual.
We all have days where we feel like the embodiment of a sack of potatoes and that’s okay. But for the sake of self-care, perhaps it’s time we recognised the power of putting on a good shirt.