Blog : Happiness: It's Not in the Jeans (c & p)

146 posts
3/8/2012 7:47 am

Happiness: It's Not in the Jeans (c & p)

ScienceDaily (Mar. 8, 2012) — You may throw on an outfit without much thought in the morning, but your choice is strongly affected by your mood. And the item of casual wear in almost everyone's wardrobe -- denim jeans -- is what most people wear when depressed, new research from psychologists at the University of Hertfordshire reveals.

A study conducted by Professor Karen Pine, co-author of "Flex: Do Something Different, found that what a woman chooses to wear is heavily dependent upon her emotional state."* One hundred women were asked what they wore when feeling depressed and more than half of them said jeans. Only a third would wear jeans when feeling happy. In a low mood a woman is also much more likely to wear a baggy top; 57 percent of the women said they would wear a baggy top when depressed, yet a mere 2 percent would wear one when feeling happy. Women also revealed they would be ten times more likely to put on a favorite dress when happy (62 percent) than when depressed (6 percent).

The psychologists conclude that the strong link between clothing and mood state suggests we should put on clothes that we associate with happiness, even when feeling low.

Professor Pine said: "This finding shows that clothing doesn't just influence others, it reflects and influences the wearer's mood too. Many of the women in this study felt they could alter their mood by changing what they wore. This demonstrates the psychological power of clothing and how the right choices could influence a person's happiness."

Accessories can make a difference too. The study found that:
••Twice as many women said they would wear a hat when happy than when depressed.
••Five times as many women said they would wear their favorite shoes when happy (31 percent) than when depressed (6 percent).

The study found that 'happy' clothes -- ones that made women feel good -- were well-cut, figure enhancing, and made from bright and beautiful fabrics. Professor Pine pointed out that these are exactly the features that jeans lack: "Jeans don't look great on everyone. They are often poorly cut and badly fitting. Jeans can signal that the wearer hasn't bothered with their appearance. People who are depressed often lose interest in how they look and don't wish to stand out, so the correlation between depression and wearing jeans is understandable. Most importantly, this research suggests that we can dress for happiness, but that might mean ditching the jeans."

- There's a Truth out there somewhere!

spiritwoman45

3/8/2012 10:36 am

karinpepita

I'm with Karin. I wear jeans a lot becasue they look good on me. I embroider them to make them interesting. Baggy tops? almost never unless my abdomen is distended becasue my digestive disorder is acting up. It it's bright colored I will bear it. My choice is mostly dictated by temperature. Jeans in the cooler weather and light flowing cotton skirts and dresses in the hot weather. Tank tops in the warm weather and sweaters when it is cool. Sandals in the summer, boots in the winter, athletic shoes and hiking shoes when they are called for. Old shorts or jeans and old tops when I am working. Leather jacket, jeans jacket of cotton over shirt for outside. Temperature and activity are the primary dictators of what I wear.

At the moment I am lounging around the house. I have on black/ red/ white cotton pajama pants (cotton) a red cami top and a loos weave knit white over shirt. I am likely to stay this way until I go out later.

Spiritwoman ^i^

Tx_JW 81M

3/8/2012 11:07 am

I do not know about the wearers mental state but it improves mine when I see classy lady in great fitting jeans. LOL
Party On!

sleekbeauty2 73F

3/9/2012 1:49 am

This blogger has stated many times that he hates women in jeans.

There is only one thing standing between nobama and Marxist tyranny: We, the People!!