Do the clothes really make the person? You may rarely think about it, but what you’re wearing today might have been a direct expression of how you felt when you selected the outfit this morning.

Maybe you didn’t care or were feeling down when you were getting dressed. But on a day you do care or you have something special to dress up for, you take extra time to look your best.

Ponder these ideas about how clothing reflects your feelings:

Clothing and Your Feelings: Is There a Connection?

1. Consider a trip to the hospital. As soon as you put on that baggy hospital gown, you feel vulnerable, unsure of yourself, and defenseless. Your physical symptoms may even worsen. Who feels fantastic wearing a hospital gown? No one. And you’ve seen the cartoon about the reason they call it the ICU ward. It’s because in those silly gown, I SEE YOU.

2. Think back to the last time you wore some new workout wear. Did you feel like you had your best workout ever when you were dressed in your new active wear?

* You likely felt more serious about what you were doing and gave your best effort.

* Maybe you believed you were looking pretty snazzy that day and that you were on your way to your strongest body yet.

3. Research supports the connection between clothes and feelings. One researcher had some of her students put on Superman T-shirts and then take a survey about how they felt about themselves. Those wearing the Superman shirts reported they were more likeable and even physically stronger than those not wearing the Superman shirts.

4. When you dress up to go to a wedding or fancy dinner, you feel elegant. For most of us, putting on our “Sunday best” brings out our best manners and makes us feel confident about our looks.

* The better you think you look, the better you feel about yourself. That’s surely a vote for looking your best whenever you can.

5. Women who are depressed focus on wearing the same clothing. A recent study found that rather than looking at their entire wardrobes, women with depression selected clothing from just ten percent of all the apparel in their closets.

6. If you find yourself wearing your jeans often, you may be depressed. According to additional research, women who were feeling down in the dumps just grabbed their jeans and put them on. HOWEVER, let me interject MY personal feelings on this one. I’m a Texas gal and I LOVE my jeans!! Jeans and a cute shirt and I feel like I can conquer the world!

* So, when you’re repeatedly slipping in to those old, comfortable jeans or ANY CLOTHING that is just your always “go to” clothing, examine how you’re really feeling.

7. Think back to when you wore something you disliked. If you’ve ever thought your pants were too tight, your behind looked too large, or the bright colors showcased your flaws, you likely experienced negative feelings rather than positive ones about your clothing. How you feel about your outfit can negatively affect your day.

8. Now, consider how you feel when you wear your favorite clothes. Maybe it’s that light blue shirt with the gray pants. Or the red polka dot dress with the white scarf and navy heels. You feel fantastic when you wear clothes you love.

As it turns out, your feelings are closely connected with the clothes you wear. When you have a wardrobe that’s appealing to you, you’ll live a happier, more confident life. Consider going through your closet today and donating those outfits that seem to bring you down. Who knows, those same clothes might lift the spirits of someone else!

And if you still aren’t convinced, I highly suggest a free program called Beauty Profile course. Carol Tuttle has the gift of explaining how we ALL are NOT made to wear the same style clothes OR the colors. I can tell you that when I finished her course beauty profiling lessons, I got rid of half of the clothes in my closet and started wearing the types of clothes that not only fit me, but FIT me! It was a game changer when it came time to dressing MY truth!

Listen mom, when the kids have flown the coop and you have the empty nest, you can get rid of all those high school t-shirts and spirit shirts. Well, maybe keep 1 for the memories . When they graduate from college, the same thing. But even before then you owe it to yourself to dress BEAUTIFUL on the outside to the same spirit of BEAUTY you have on the inside! The greatest gift of love you can give yourself is permission to BE yourself and get connected with some fashion ideas for the older, STELLAR woman that you are!

Hugs and feathers from the nest~~()~~

Kim Steadman is the Content Curator and COOP (Chief Online Operating Person) for The Re-Feathered Nest, a place of encouragement for moms entering the Empty Nest Zone who are ready to RePurpose and ReDesign themselves according to God’s purpose for their lives now that the kids have flown the coop. Kim can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheRefeatheredNest and on Google+ at +Kim