I used to think clothes were mostly about being decent in public. But over time, I started noticing something different.
When I wear a T-shirt, I work differently.
When I wear running shoes, I walk differently.
And when I put on a proper shirt, I feel that I think more clearly.
… and to my surprise, there’s science behind this – it’s called Enclothed Cognition.
Back in 2012, two psychologists – Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky – ran a series of experiments where they found: what you wear doesn’t just affect how other people see you. It affects how you think, feel, and act.
It comes down to two things:
- The meaning of the clothes (a lab coat means something different than a T-shirt).
- Actually wearing them (just seeing the clothes doesn’t do much – you have to wear them).
The Famous Lab Coat Experiment
Here’s what they did. First, they had people take a Stroop test (the one where the word “red” is printed in green ink and you have to say the color, not the word). Half wore lab coats, half didn’t.
The lab coat group made half as many mistakes.
Then some people wore a “doctor’s coat”, others wore a “painter’s coat”, and one group just looked at a lab coat sitting nearby.
Only the people who wore the doctor’s coat showed better focus. Same coat, different meaning = different results.
Then they asked one group to just write about what the coat meant to them, without wearing it. Nothing changed. Once again, only actually putting it on made a difference.
Your Body Shapes Your Brain
This connects to a bigger idea in psychology: embodied cognition. It’s the theory that your thoughts aren’t just in your head – they’re shaped by your body, your movements, your senses.
When you stand tall, you tend to feel more confident. Or when you physically lean forward, you’re more likely to agree with someone.
Same goes for clothes. They don’t just sit on your body – they speak to your brain.
Once I learned about this, I started seeing it everywhere. 🤯
- Formal clothes boost abstract thinking. People literally think in more strategic terms when they wear a suit.
- Wearing athletic gear makes you more likely to work out – even if you weren’t planning to.
- Kids who dress as superheroes persist longer at boring tasks.
- Every Sunday morning, I throw on my running clothes to motivate myself to start working out. As soon as I’ve got them on, my brain switches into “go” mode.
Clothes as Identity Armor
Philosophically, enclothed cognition echoes Sartre’s existentialism – we’re not born with a fixed essence; we become through action and context. Clothes become one of those contexts.
When you put on a uniform, you’re not just dressing for the role – you’re accepting an identity. Your “self” becomes performative, shaped by social meaning. Like actors in a play, we step into roles through dress.
It’s similar to symbolic interactions – our sense of self is constantly being shaped by the symbols we interact with. Clothes, rich in social meaning, are one of the most powerful of those symbols.
Your closet is basically a toolbox for your brain.
Want to feel focused? Wear something sharp.
Want to feel relaxed? Go soft and loose.
Need a little courage? Find the outfit that makes you stand taller.
Pick something to wear – not based on how it looks, but how you want to feel.
Curious? Confident? Calm? There’s probably YOUR outfit for that.