In the field of social psychology, clothing was long treated as a marginal subject, regarded as a superficial element unworthy of deep cognitive examination. Yet a thorough review titled Dress, Body and Self brought the question back into focus: what do clothes actually do to us? Not only in terms of appearance, but also in how they shape perception, behavior, and social relationships.
The study begins by unpacking traditional concepts of dress, emphasizing that clothing is not merely an outward expression but a cognitive entry point that shapes both self perception and the perception of others. The researchers support this argument with a series of psychological and social experiments that reveal how clothing interacts with subtle mental processes, from self awareness to cognitive performance.
One of the most influential concepts discussed in the paper is enclothed cognition, introduced by researchers Adam and Galinsky in 2012. It refers to the idea that clothing affects our behaviors and perceptions based on the symbolic meanings attached to it. For instance, when some participants wore white coats described as “doctor’s coats,” they performed better on tasks requiring focus, compared to those who wore the same coat but were told it was a “painter’s coat.” The coat was identical, but the label triggered different mental associations, leading to different levels of performance.
From here, clothing is no longer just material that covers the body but a psychological stimulus that activates cognitive and behavioral traits within the individual. Some institutions apply this principle consciously: schools through uniforms, offices through formal business attire, even hospitals through white coats and scrubs. All of these are visual tools that create symbolic associations to reinforce roles.
But this effect is not limited to cognitive performance; it also extends to how we perceive our own bodies. The study highlights a classic experiment in which women were asked to perform an athletic test while wearing either swimsuits or loose fitting jackets. Those in swimsuits performed worse due to heightened self objectified body awareness, a state in which attention shifts to how one looks rather than what one feels or thinks. In psychology, this is known as objectification theory.
What the paper shows is that this phenomenon is not limited to women. Men also struggle with body image issues, particularly when repeatedly exposed to idealized muscular models in advertising and social media. This can lead to what is known as muscle dysmorphia, a compulsive drive to build the body as a way of proving strength or masculinity in a world where the meaning of power and identity is constantly shifting.
The study then moves on to analyze how clothing is used in constructing social identity through what is known as self image congruence with the product. This concept suggests that individuals choose clothes and brands that reflect who they believe they are, or who they aspire to be. In this way, the wardrobe becomes something like a narrative map of the self.
The paper also emphasizes the symbolic and interactive dimension of clothing, showing that an individual does not present themselves through dress alone but also anticipates the response of others to confirm or reassess their self representation. It is what researcher Erwin Stone called a process of “program and review,” where clothing is tested within a social context through which the individual continuously shapes the contours of their identity.
What the study ultimately suggests is that clothing cannot be separated from the cognitive dimension of human experience. We do not simply wear what we like, but what aligns with the role we imagine for ourselves. A piece of clothing may be the one thing in our day we feel fully in control of, yet at the same time it invisibly shapes how we feel, how we behave, and at times even how we think.
This article is supported by the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) and the Cultural Development Fund as part of the #Ithra_Arabic_Content_Initiative.
