Clothing and Psychology: Revealing the common misconceptions -

Chisato Tsuji 

So you think you know what looks good and what doesn't? Psychology begs to differ...

Which shoe looks smaller to you? (They're both the same size!)

• Black clothes do not make you look slimmer. They show you as your true size by sharpening your outline. 

• Warm colours make you seem less slim. It looks expanded with the blurred outline and makes you seem closer than you actually are. Cool colours make you look slimmer. It seems further away with the clear outline. (This principle is also used in art where things in the distance e.g. mountains are painted with cool colours and objects closer are painted with warm colours. 

• Horizontal lines make people more submissive. Horizontal lines are associated with mental stability and lack of desire to attack. This is may be why many sailors and criminals used to wear horizontal lined clothes. It is also more likely that someone will listen to you without objection when they’re wearing such clothes. 

• Want to look younger? Don’t wear skirts/dresses that show your knees. Showing your knees has the psychological effect of making someone look older, especially if you’re over 30. 

• Short torso? Wear V-necks. 

• Dress against the situation if you want people to be interested. Comedians should wear suits, and if you are going to be serious, wear casual clothing. Wearing formal clothes when talking serious make you seem contrived. A research showed university students took 7 times more interest, when the teacher wore jacket/jeans instead of a suit, despite talking about the same topics. The dissonance of the situation and the clothing creates interest. 

• Research has shown that the T can make you up to 12% more attractive, as it makes the chest look broader and the waist slimmer. For maximum effect, the horizontal bar should be equal or longer than the vertical. The illusion has more percentage increase for chubbier men than those who are already toned.