I love this. I find I have different personalities that come out at different times when it comes to dressing. Day to day Professional Izzy loves monochromatic textures and layers. I love simple but beautiful and I take effort to dress and get ready every day even if I’m working from home because it makes me feel confident and so good. When I go to parties and BM for example, the super colorful glitzy Disco Barbie comes out after months of putting my outfits together. But I couldn’t be Disco Barbie every day, she’s the maximalist version of me that comes out to play. I do love architectural pieces and I’d love to lean more into these as a way to express. This article is great!! Thank you!
okay i love that you've named them. "professional izzy" and "disco barbie" are not just moods — they're whole operating systems with their own wardrobes and their own rules.
it's crazy how effectively an outfit can snap into a totally separate piece of your identity. alter ego-work in action.
happy this resonated, love. and thank you so much for communicating so. it really does mean so much to 'find your people' on the internet :)
I've just stumbled across this series and have devoured all 4 parts in one sitting - absolutely fascinating, thank you. Looking forward to more! On the subject of professional dressing, it's something I've been mulling recently. I work in management consultancy in a world where all the men in my office are dressed as identikit navy suit-white shirt-brown shoes clones. For the women it's normal to see everything from suits to dresses to sneakers - and a couple of younger colleagues have said recently that they find it much harder to read what is appropriate for them as a result (they worry they won't get taken seriously etc) whereas those of us who have been around for a bit longer enjoy the apparent freedom this gives us.
okay first of all — all four parts in one sitting is the highest compliment this series could get. thank you for that!
second... i'm so intrigued by this. the men get a uniform and the women get "freedom" — but freedom without a template is just another decision to make under pressure. i totally see why your younger colleagues might feel that. when there's no floor, everything feels like a risk.
and the comfort you + the more senior women feel isn't really about the dress code being more relaxed — it's that you've already absorbed enough data points (what got taken seriously, what didn't, what felt like you) to build your own internal template. the "freedom" is identical. the pattern recognition isn't.
this is so deeply connected to what's coming in the next study — career identity and wardrobe are basically the same crisis wearing different outfits. so glad you're here for it 🤍
What an absolute phenomenal read! Seventy-five percent of women believe clothes can change how they feel. Only six percent reach for something expressive. I research Fashion Psychology as well so 👋 fellow researcher and I am sad to say that this outcome does not surprise me. The rest reach for regulation. That is not a belief problem, it is a usage problem. You own a piano, you are using it as a shelf. And the thing they want most (self-expression, 35%) is the thing they are currently rationing. You do not wait until you feel like yourself to dress like yourself. You dress like yourself until you remember who that is. The gap is not knowledge, it is permission. Women know clothes are powerful, they know expression feels better than regulation, they know the right outfit changes the entire weather system of their day. But they are waiting for a less chaotic Tuesday before they will let themselves use it. The shift is internal. The audience is optional. The embodiment is not. The click-clack is a decision to be embodied, to take up audible physical unmissable space. Thank you for bringing this to peoples attention. Because I truly believe if we know how amazing the instruments in our closets are, we might actually start playing. ♥️
so glad we found each other on here, jennifer! i can't wait to see more of your work — and i'm really happy this resonated with someone who's swimming in the same waters. thank you for reading 🤍
Hi, I really loved your piece! As a designer, I can’t separate fashion from psychology, and I also believe clothes quietly bring out different versions of us. I published something around this idea today, so coming across your piece felt especially meaningful. The statistics part made it feel even more grounded. If you’re curious, I’d love you to take a look. Feels like we’re exploring similar ideas, would be nice to support each other here <3
This really resonates. I go to many awards shows and galas, so many that women ask me for advice, what to wear, what to do. Same themes. It seems really hard to get ready and go, and yet there’s a clear desire. And yes, it’s about expression. And colors. I’m personally at the other end of this, living in the moment, trying new things, meeting new people. But I, too, had to get myself out the door the first time.
It was almost accidental. I was in New York on business and had been there a while. I had been to Broadway shows and decided I wanted something different. I found that there was an opera, Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux. But it was a gala. Determined to go, I bought a gown (which I still wear 25 years later) and just went. At the dinner after the opera I was seated at a table where of course I knew no one. I almost left, but I had paid a lot for the ticket. And it turned out to be the most gratifying decision. Everyone was kind and welcoming. I had a wonderful time. I wrote about this in a post recently.
Ooo this is interesting! I think more colours is seen as more expressive and out of the norm in this day and age, thats why people wait for the permission slip. I think people who wear colours has a more strong sense of self, or let's just say are bolder. Thats my take on it for the majority. Some people like muted tones because its calmer and not as loud, and frankly easier to style(capsule wardrobe) haha. I think colours is somthing you'll need to have the courage to step into as well.
"colours is something you'll need to have the courage to step into" — yes. and i think that's what made that response hit so hard for me. she didn't say she wanted a new wardrobe or a bigger budget. she wanted colors. the barrier was never logistical. it was emotional.
and you're onto something with the boldness thing — but i'd push back slightly. i don't think it's that color-wearers have a stronger sense of self necessarily. i think they've just already given themselves the permission slip.
the self-knowledge might be identical. the willingness to act on it is the gap.
I love this. I find I have different personalities that come out at different times when it comes to dressing. Day to day Professional Izzy loves monochromatic textures and layers. I love simple but beautiful and I take effort to dress and get ready every day even if I’m working from home because it makes me feel confident and so good. When I go to parties and BM for example, the super colorful glitzy Disco Barbie comes out after months of putting my outfits together. But I couldn’t be Disco Barbie every day, she’s the maximalist version of me that comes out to play. I do love architectural pieces and I’d love to lean more into these as a way to express. This article is great!! Thank you!
okay i love that you've named them. "professional izzy" and "disco barbie" are not just moods — they're whole operating systems with their own wardrobes and their own rules.
it's crazy how effectively an outfit can snap into a totally separate piece of your identity. alter ego-work in action.
happy this resonated, love. and thank you so much for communicating so. it really does mean so much to 'find your people' on the internet :)
I've just stumbled across this series and have devoured all 4 parts in one sitting - absolutely fascinating, thank you. Looking forward to more! On the subject of professional dressing, it's something I've been mulling recently. I work in management consultancy in a world where all the men in my office are dressed as identikit navy suit-white shirt-brown shoes clones. For the women it's normal to see everything from suits to dresses to sneakers - and a couple of younger colleagues have said recently that they find it much harder to read what is appropriate for them as a result (they worry they won't get taken seriously etc) whereas those of us who have been around for a bit longer enjoy the apparent freedom this gives us.
okay first of all — all four parts in one sitting is the highest compliment this series could get. thank you for that!
second... i'm so intrigued by this. the men get a uniform and the women get "freedom" — but freedom without a template is just another decision to make under pressure. i totally see why your younger colleagues might feel that. when there's no floor, everything feels like a risk.
and the comfort you + the more senior women feel isn't really about the dress code being more relaxed — it's that you've already absorbed enough data points (what got taken seriously, what didn't, what felt like you) to build your own internal template. the "freedom" is identical. the pattern recognition isn't.
this is so deeply connected to what's coming in the next study — career identity and wardrobe are basically the same crisis wearing different outfits. so glad you're here for it 🤍
Thank you - you've picked up exactly what I was trying to say in my comment. Looking forward to reading what's next.
What an absolute phenomenal read! Seventy-five percent of women believe clothes can change how they feel. Only six percent reach for something expressive. I research Fashion Psychology as well so 👋 fellow researcher and I am sad to say that this outcome does not surprise me. The rest reach for regulation. That is not a belief problem, it is a usage problem. You own a piano, you are using it as a shelf. And the thing they want most (self-expression, 35%) is the thing they are currently rationing. You do not wait until you feel like yourself to dress like yourself. You dress like yourself until you remember who that is. The gap is not knowledge, it is permission. Women know clothes are powerful, they know expression feels better than regulation, they know the right outfit changes the entire weather system of their day. But they are waiting for a less chaotic Tuesday before they will let themselves use it. The shift is internal. The audience is optional. The embodiment is not. The click-clack is a decision to be embodied, to take up audible physical unmissable space. Thank you for bringing this to peoples attention. Because I truly believe if we know how amazing the instruments in our closets are, we might actually start playing. ♥️
so glad we found each other on here, jennifer! i can't wait to see more of your work — and i'm really happy this resonated with someone who's swimming in the same waters. thank you for reading 🤍
I can't agree more!!
Well, I have an insane piece coming out tomorrow, I hope you will like it ♥️
ahhh! setting a reminder in my calendar to check it out :)
hugs!
Really awesome read
thank you for always being so sweet + supportive <3
LOVED this series. So interesting (and tragic). Thank you!
Hi, I really loved your piece! As a designer, I can’t separate fashion from psychology, and I also believe clothes quietly bring out different versions of us. I published something around this idea today, so coming across your piece felt especially meaningful. The statistics part made it feel even more grounded. If you’re curious, I’d love you to take a look. Feels like we’re exploring similar ideas, would be nice to support each other here <3
This really resonates. I go to many awards shows and galas, so many that women ask me for advice, what to wear, what to do. Same themes. It seems really hard to get ready and go, and yet there’s a clear desire. And yes, it’s about expression. And colors. I’m personally at the other end of this, living in the moment, trying new things, meeting new people. But I, too, had to get myself out the door the first time.
"But I, too, had to get myself out the door the first time."
do you remember what helped with that initial push? craving deeper understanding here to help the girlies who haven't yet made the "leap!"
It was almost accidental. I was in New York on business and had been there a while. I had been to Broadway shows and decided I wanted something different. I found that there was an opera, Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux. But it was a gala. Determined to go, I bought a gown (which I still wear 25 years later) and just went. At the dinner after the opera I was seated at a table where of course I knew no one. I almost left, but I had paid a lot for the ticket. And it turned out to be the most gratifying decision. Everyone was kind and welcoming. I had a wonderful time. I wrote about this in a post recently.
don’t be shy!!! share the link! i want to read :)
thanks so much for the detail. i’m gonna crack this — i’m sure of it.
You can do it! Here’s the post that includes that story, and there are others that touch the same theme because many women have talked with me about making the leap. https://galagirl.substack.com/p/just-find-a-nearby-gala-and-go?r=jukym&utm_medium=ios
Ooo this is interesting! I think more colours is seen as more expressive and out of the norm in this day and age, thats why people wait for the permission slip. I think people who wear colours has a more strong sense of self, or let's just say are bolder. Thats my take on it for the majority. Some people like muted tones because its calmer and not as loud, and frankly easier to style(capsule wardrobe) haha. I think colours is somthing you'll need to have the courage to step into as well.
"colours is something you'll need to have the courage to step into" — yes. and i think that's what made that response hit so hard for me. she didn't say she wanted a new wardrobe or a bigger budget. she wanted colors. the barrier was never logistical. it was emotional.
and you're onto something with the boldness thing — but i'd push back slightly. i don't think it's that color-wearers have a stronger sense of self necessarily. i think they've just already given themselves the permission slip.
the self-knowledge might be identical. the willingness to act on it is the gap.
thanks for this 🕊