The idea that clothes can influence and impact our behavior, feelings, and actions is very intriguing to me and is an important aspect of my blog. In a previous post, I discussed an article relating to looking good and feeling good and this post ties in with that. I talked briefly about two Northwestern researchers, Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky, who tested the idea of “enclothed cognition” and explained some of the mental changes our brain endures when we wear certain clothing. For the study they had half of the volunteers wear lab coats and the other half wear nothing special and then asked them to perform certain tasks. The group wearing the lab coats “proved significantly more successful” and Adam says this could be applied to other areas, such as fitness apparel. Jamie Wiebe discusses her thoughts and opinions on this concept in an article in the Atlantic titled “Psychology of LuluLemon: How Fashion Affects Fitness.”
Jamie talks about a similar concept that plays a role in this mentality, called group-think, meaning you start to think as a group instead of individually. A psychologist and personal trainer named Susan Rudnicki says, “I see girls at hatha yoga wearing Lululemon clothes, and they look the part, and I think: They must be really good. They have their life together. I’m an instructor, and even I feel that.” LuluLemon definitely knows this and capitalizes on it. They started the “active wear explosion” and have changed the negative connotation of wearing workout clothes not to the gym. They’ve made gym clothes into something so casual and carefree that women are loving and embracing in their lives.
In the article the author says that an NDP report released that the active wear market had grown 7% over the past year compared to the general apparel market only growing 1%. LuluLemon isn’t the only company who has recognized this growth and implemented active wear into their lines of clothing, companies such as Gap, Kmart, etc. have all joined in. The author also talks about how the price of the fitness clothing doesn’t necessarily matter, but what is important is if the clothing makes you feel more confident.
I agree with the idea of “enclothed cognition” and I think what I wear definitely impacts the way I feel and my behavior. However, for me it doesn’t particularly matter the brand or how expensive my workout clothing is, but it is exciting purchasing cute workout gear to make me feel more motivated. On a college campus, I see this among many of my friends. LuluLemon is extremely popular and you see countless girls wearing their clothing on campus daily. It is a trend to wear this brand – but not everyone feels the need to spend an excessive amount on their workout apparel. Overall, I think what you wear does impact your confidence and motivation level, and women are becoming more and more comfortable wearing workout gear in their daily lives not only to the gym. Yoga pants are here to stay!