Have you ever spent hours trying to decide what to wear to a special occasion? Or almost been late to school because you can’t settle on an outfit for the day? Sometimes, we don’t have the time or patience to worry about it and just throw something on, but other times we prefer to give it more thought. The purpose of clothing comes down to a lot more than simply covering us up and helping us regulate our body temperature. We use clothes to present ourselves to the world. They reflect how we see ourselves on the inside, as well as our likes and dislikes. They can be a reflection of who we are. What makes them really cool though is that they can also help us become who we want to be.

I’m not even necessarily talking about clothes changing your long-term identity, or the essence of who you are. What I’m referring to is more of the effect they can have on our attitude for a single day. With clothes neat is that you can reinvent yourself over and over again to match whichever version of yourself the day most requires. For example, when I’m sick, or tired, or overwhelmed, I like to dress up. My clothing choice doesn’t necessarily have to be “dressy” attire, but simply a well-put-together outfit that makes me feel cute. I may be exhausted, but if I can put myself together despite the dark under-eye circles and lack of energy, it switches my frame of mind. My subconscious says “Okay, we’re tired, but look! We’re doing this! We’re still okay and we’re getting ready to face the world.” This helps me maintain my confidence and stay productive.

Some people are the opposite; a comfy sweatshirt and sweat pants, hair up out of your face, and no make-up make them feel comfortable and more at ease, putting them in the best position to handle their day. Either way, even if we don’t really feel cute or at ease, wearing the right clothes helps us pretend that we are. And on days like that, pretending serves as a step in the right direction to make it true.

So the next time you need a pick me up, try changing your clothes! This works for all kinds of moods we wish we were in but just can’t quite achieve! Wish you were more excited today? Studious? Happy? Tranquil? Think about how you would look if you were and match your attire to that image. That person in in there, they just need a little reinforcement to bring them out – and maybe a reminder when they look in the mirror.