Fashion is Psychology

Zoe's Bio

Member of the PBI, Zoe Shaughnessy has an MSc in Applied Psychology in Fashion

at the University of Arts, London - the first and only postgraduate course in the world

that provides critical insight into human behaviour to understand and improve the

human aspects of the fashion business. She has an MSc in Occupational

Psychology and is a BPS Chartered Occupational Psychologist in training. She is

founder of the consultancy – Fashionology - focused on bringing psychological

informed practice and insights to the fashion ecosystem to support and advocate for

positive change.

Zoe's Blog

Have you ever dressed in a way that changed the way you feel about yourself?

Fashion is our second skin. Love it, or, loathe it; engage with it, remain neutral on it

or feel disengaged by it, the fabric we adorn, or, use to grace our space, speaks

volumes even if we don’t expect it, or, want it to.

Fashion psychology is the study of how clothing choices reflect and influence our

thoughts, emotions, behaviours, and social interactions. The symbolic meaning of

clothing and the physical experience of wearing it can shape our behaviour,

confidence, attention, and even cognitive performance. Enclothed cognition; a

psychological concept that describes how the clothes we wear can influence

our mental processes, attitudes, and performance provides that link the term was

introduced by Adam and Galinsky (2012) in a study published in the Journal of

Experimental Social Psychology. In the study participants wore a white coat that was

either described as a doctor’s coat or a painter’s coat. Those who believed they were

wearing a doctor’s coat performed better on attention tasks showing more focus and

precision. This proved that the symbolic meaning attached to clothing (not just the

physical garment) can alter cognitive functioning.

Similarly, studies have shown that wearing formal clothes can make people feel

more powerful and think more abstractly; athletic wear can boost motivation for

exercise which is directly linked to self-perception and identity. Clothing can be used

as a tool for mood management; we dress to feel better, safer, or more confident.

“Dopamine dressing” refers to choosing bright or expressive clothing to elevate

mood. Conversely, when people feel low, they may dress in darker or less

expressive ways.

Interesting things happen at intersections thus bringing psychological insights and

research to better understand fashion helps to examine why we wear what we wear

and how style impacts identity and perception and how we feel.

Looking at fashion and the fashion ecosystem through the lens of psychology gives a

rich avenue for exploration, including when it comes to sustainability. It can feed into

the wider fashion structures and be viewed as a catalyst and advocate for helping to

shape a better and more sustainable future. The global apparel market is valued at

about US $1.84 trillion in 2025 (Statista). The fashion industry is responsible for

approximately 10% of global carbon emissions, in addition the industry uses an

enormous amount of water: e.g. it takes about 2,700 litres of water to produce one

cotton T-shirt. There is opportunity for psychology to transform the fashion industry

supporting fashion for good; exploring and understanding more sustainable

consumer habits and encouraging less environmental harm.

Part of this potentially involves looking at concepts such as biomimicry. In fashion,

this involves studying biological organisms and ecosystems to create sustainable

textiles, efficient production methods, and emotionally engaging design. Biomimetic

materials often look, feel, and behave differently they can be softer, adaptive,

responsive. This changes how wearers experience clothing physically and

psychologically: more comfort, protection, or empowerment. For instance,

temperature-regulating fabrics (inspired by animal fur or plant structures) can

increase physical comfort, which in turn affects mood and confidence. From a

psychological standpoint, wearing biomimetic, sustainable fashion can enhance a

person’s moral self-concept; the feeling of being an ethical or responsible consumer.

This ties to self-signalling theory: people use sustainable fashion choices to reinforce

a positive self-identity and social image.

Interestingly founder of Psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud, stated ‘in your wardrobe

hang your brains’ the idea that our clothing choices reflect and even shape our

thoughts, emotions, and identities gives multiple avenues to explore the layered and

multifaceted space that is Fashion Psychology.

Sources included in this blog/further reading

Adam, H., & Galinsky, A. D. (2012). Enclothed cognition. Journal of experimental

social psychology, 48(4), 918-925.

Burger, A. M., & Bless, H. (2017). Cognitive consequences of formal clothing: the

effects of clothing versus thinking of clothing. Comprehensive Results in Social

Psychology, 2(2-3), 228-252.

Chen, S., Chen, F., Zhu, L., Li, Q., Wang, X., & Wang, L. (2023). A spatial water

footprint assessment of recycled cotton t-shirts: Case of local impacts in selected

China provinces. Sustainability, 15(1), 817.

Hoekstra, A. Y., & Mekonnen, M. M. (2012). The water footprint of humanity.

Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, 109(9), 3232-3237.

Johnson, K., Lennon, S. J., & Rudd, N. (2014). Dress, body and self: Research in the

social psychology of dress. Fashion and textiles, 1(1), 20.

Johnson, O., & Chattaraman, V. (2021). Signaling socially responsible consumption

among millennials: an identity-based perspective. Social Responsibility Journal,

17(1), 87-105.

Lambert, E. (2019). Sustainable fashion consumption: theory of planned behavior

and the influence of self-identity, perceived consumer effectiveness and fashion

consciousness.

Li, K., & Xu, Z. (2025). “Change of ‘clothes,’change of mind?”: affective rhetoric and

the dopamine-dressing sensation. Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies

Mayer, P., & Tama Birkocak, D. (2024). Carbon Footprint of Fashion: Assessing and

Addressing Carbon Emissions in Textile Production. In Carbon Footprint

Assessments: Case Studies & Best Practices (pp. 99-130). Cham: Springer Nature

Switzerland.

Schutte, N. S., & McNeil, D. G. (2015). Athletic Identity Mediates Between Exercise

Motivation and Beneficial Outcomes. Journal of Sport Behavior, 38(2).

Suvo, S. S. H. (2025). Assess the financial health and propose new project based on

forecasted cash flow for Gartex Overseas Limited.

PBI Take:

We are big believers in the value of psychology. Zoe’s blog is the perfect example of how powerful that can be. Fashion psychology shows us that clothing is a behavioural tool. What we wear influences attention, confidence, motivation, self-identity and even how sustainable our decisions are. Zoe brings together research, practice and critical insight to highlight how psychology can support a healthier, more conscious lifestyle.