You’ve probably felt it yourself: wearing one outfit, you feel like you just rolled out of a dumpster. But in another outfit? You walk like you own the world.
And that feeling isn't just in your head. You actually start
thinking, acting, and carrying yourself based on what you’re wearing.
In 2012, researchers Hajo Adam and Adam D. Galinsky ran a fascinating experiment called "
enclothed cognition." They took a random group of people and split them into two teams. One team wore white lab coats (associated with scientists); the other stayed in their normal clothes.
Both teams took the same cognitive test—and the lab coat group crushed it, solving problems faster and more accurately.
But they didn’t stop there.
In a second experiment, they gave
both teams white coats—but told one group it was a “scientist's coat” and the other that it was a “painter's coat.”
Guess what?
The “scientists” won again, outperforming the "painters" by a huge margin.
So, what’s the takeaway?
We subconsciously adopt the identity associated with what we wear.We step into a social role—even if it's just in our own mind.
In short:
Fake it till you make it... by dressing the part.
If you want to become the person you dream of being—
start dressing like them today.
No waiting. No overthinking. Just one conscious choice at a time.
But here’s a word of caution:
If your clothing and your true character are constantly clashing, you might end up with
cognitive dissonance—an internal conflict that’s not so great for your emotional well-being.
So ask yourself:Is your clothing your ally—or your enemy?Give yourself permission to wear your true self.
Dress in a way that celebrates who you already are—and watch the magic unfold.
Read on Medium