Every day, college students across the U.S. stand in front of their closets, trying to decide what to wear. Whether it’s blue jeans, a floral skirt or even comfortable pajama pants, the wardrobe of college students can take on many forms. For exam day, however, they might want to toss the pajamas aside.
To Keira Plotner, a freshman at UW-Madison and fashion designer at The Vault, a student-run fashion organization focused on changing the narrow perception of the fashion industry, personal style plays a large part in college life.
“What you wear is the first thing someone notices,” Plotner said. “If you don’t like what you’re wearing, you’re not going to be confident.”
For many students, fashion is the least of their worries, but Plotner’s belief aligns with new research, which indicates that putting together an outfit every morning could influence behavior. This concept, known as enclothed cognition, refers to the idea that clothing choices can have an effect on someone’s academic or athletic performance.
Plotner has become familiar with enclothed cognition through her experience in running track, where mindset is crucial to maintaining a strong pace and stride. From an athletic standpoint, she believes clothing type can directly influence a person’s performance.
“It definitely goes hand-in-hand with sports,” Plotner said. “If you are wearing a uniform you really like, and you did your hair and your makeup and you’re feeling good, then subconsciously, you are going to perform well too.”
Apart from individual perception, style choices can also reflect mental well-being, depending on the colors someone chooses or the way their clothing fits. Oftentimes, the right outfit can help reconnect people to their identity. To Plotner, style is closely associated with someone’s sense of self.
“Your clothing shows a lot about you,” Plotner said. “It really shows people what you will do and who you will become.”
However, social perception related to clothes and self-expression can be intimidating, especially on college campuses, where students are actively forming identities and finding their own style. Although this is a transformative period for many, it also comes with challenges around social conformity and appearance.
Sometimes, students are too afraid to dress authentically because the social pressure of being perceived differently stops them from wearing what they really want. This fear can ultimately limit outfit choices, because they are too worried about standing out from the crowd.
“If you want to wear something really cool that you think looks good, but you end up wearing sweatpants instead, you won’t be nearly as motivated,” Plotner said.
Today, there are plenty of resources to support students with this problem. Vero, a self-care app being constructed by UW-Madison students, is designed to help users manage their concerns through discussion forums where they can ask questions and get answers related to mental health and confidence.
The app also highlights current trends, allowing students to make intentional choices about their personal style. While tools like Vero can offer major support, it’s up to students to apply that guidance to their own lives.
Plotner encourages students to ignore the fear of being judged. She believes it is only an obstacle in reaching true confidence, and that it’s when someone is authentic in their fashion and style choices that they can step into genuine self-expression.
“It’s college. You can dress however you want, and I really think people should start doing that rather than dressing how they think other people want them to,” Plotner said.
Sources
Keira Plotner, Fashion Designer at The Vault
kplotner@wisc.edu