Dress to Impress – Why Dressing for the Job You Want Actually Works

We’ve all heard the phrase: “Dress for the job you want, not the one you have.” But beyond sounding like a tired cliché, is there any actual science behind it? It turns out, yes – and it begins with your brain.

What Is Enclothed Cognition?

The term “enclothed cognition” refers to the psychological effect that clothing has on cognitive performance, emotional state, and behaviour. In a well-known 2012 study, participants wore a white lab coat. Those told it was a doctor’s coat performed significantly better on attention-related tasks than those told it was a painter’s coat¹. The difference wasn’t the garment itself – it was the symbolic meaning attached to it.

The takeaway? What you wear doesn’t just change how others perceive you – it can actually change how you think.

Dress Like the Person You Want to Become

Wearing a suit or any kind of formal attire is not just about social norms. It’s wired into how we perceive power, intelligence, and professionalism — especially in Western culture. But there’s more: studies show that formal clothing actually boosts abstract thinking, strategic decision-making, and complex cognitive processing².

When you wear clothes associated with competence, you tend to act more confidently: you speak with more clarity, stand taller, and carry yourself more assertively. This concept – known as embodied cognition – describes how physical states (posture, clothing, movement) can influence mental ones³.

In other words, dressing differently can quite literally help you think differently.

The Style–Psychology Feedback Loop

Psychologists have long observed that self-perception is shaped by behaviour. When you show up dressed like someone who is competent, focused, or creative, others begin to treat you accordingly, and you begin to internalise that feedback.This is how clothing can create a positive feedback loop. The more you dress like your future self, the more your current mindset starts to align with that identity⁴. You don’t need expensive pieces or a head-to-toe designer look. What matters is intentionality. Choosing your outfit based on who you want to be today is a powerful form of behavioural priming, nudging your brain into the right emotional and cognitive state.

Over time, your brain begins to associate certain silhouettes, textures, or even shoes with clarity, power, or discipline. Call it manifestation, self-priming, or style therapy – it’s all grounded in basic cognitive psychology.

That’s chic!

How to Dress Like Your Future Self: A Practical Style x Psychology Guide

You don’t need a six-figure wardrobe or a stylist on speed dial to harness the psychology of style. Here are a few brain-smart, fashion-forward ways to dress like the person you’re becoming:

1. Name Your “Style Identity”

Think of your future self as a character. How would they dress? Are they minimalist and clean? Bold and architectural? Vintage-chic with a twist?

Give them a name. “CEO-me,” “Artist-in-residence,” “Soft-power strategist.” The more vivid, the better your brain can model toward it.

2. Curate a Power Outfit

Choose one or two go-to looks that make you feel focused, confident, and aligned. These should be your cognitive armour – outfits that prime you for performance.

Think tailored blazer, perfect-fit trousers, monochrome jumpsuit, or your favourite vintage coat. Whatever makes your posture change when you wear it.

3. Use Textures and Rituals to Trigger Flow

Psychologically, rituals create meaning. That could be slipping on a blazer before a Zoom call, or choosing jewellery that acts as a tactile reminder of presence.

Create sensory anchors: a certain perfume, the click of loafers, the coolness of silver rings — small cues that activate “game mode.”

Final Thought

Style isn’t just what you wear – it is who you are becoming, stitched into the fabric of your routine.Use it as a psychological tool, a daily act of self-alignment, and a quiet way of saying: I’m already her. I just haven’t caught up yet.

References

Bem, D.J., 1972. Self-perception theory. In: L. Berkowitz, ed. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, Vol. 6. New York: Academic Press, pp.1–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60024-6

Adam, H. and Galinsky, A.D., 2012. Enclothed cognition. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(4), pp.918–925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2012.02.008

Slepian, M.L., Ferber, S.N., Gold, J.M. and Rutchick, A.M., 2015. The cognitive consequences of formal clothing. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 6(6), pp.661–668. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550615579462

Barsalou, L.W., 2008. Grounded cognition. Annual Review of Psychology, 59, pp.617–645. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.59.103006.093639