Looking Good and Feeling Good! 

We know being healthy is more than eating certain foods, being physical active or having a healthy body….it’s a state of mind.  This month we explore the magic of clothing through the eyes of our experts, Debra Cotterill, Family & Consumer Science Agent for Mason County and Kimberly A. Miller-Spillman, PhD, Associate Professor for Merchandising, Apparels and Textiles.

What we wear and how we look communicates to others how we feel about ourselves, our lives and the world in which we live. Clothing not only protects us from the elements, but tells a story of who we are, especially in today’s world when a first impression may be a lasting one.  Clothing can create an illusion of your appearance regardless of your size, proportion, or dimension. Understanding your body type and coloring can help you select clothing flattering to you.  Use color, line, texture, proportion and balance to create an illusion of an hourglass figure, making you look taller and thinner. Knowing these tips about clothing selection can make us “look good” when we’re in the process of losing weight or hiding a few extra pounds.

Research indicates that if you think you look good, you will feel good.  Perception influences the way people behave.  Schools have found that on dress up days and after uniforms were introduced, student behavior and academic performance improved.  Over the last twenty years, many schools have developed uniforms to equalize the socio-economic factors between students, and to avoid identifiers for social groups. 

By knowing the styles that are most flattering for your body, it will help you select clothing to build a wardrobe that will work in a variety of settings- professional to casual.  By developing a wardrobe plan, each clothing purchase can be coordinated to create multiple outfits and stretch your clothing dollar. 

It’s about you looking good and feeling good!

Remember:

Buy clothes for your body type, size and coloring.

Make clothes work for you- highlight the positive!

Feeling good is “a state of mind” – healthy eating, exercise and personal appearance.