Thoughtful Dressing vs Emotional Dressing

Do you meticulously plan what you’re going to wear each day; think about the occasion, the impression you want to make, the practicality of what you’re going to wear, or do you dive into your wardrobe willy nilly and randomly pull out clothes and throw together an outfit  that makes you feel happy? In other words are you a Thoughtful Dresser, or an Emotional Dresser?

The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive and a number of women will be able to flex between the two, but for some women there is no compromise and this may be a reflection of their personality type.  It can be easy to conform to a certain way of dressing, but this can have its restrictions.   For anyone who has taken the Myers Briggs personality test you may recognise that I have chosen two opposing personality types – thinkers and feelers – as a way of exploring how we can fall into a rut and how we could perhaps experiment with some of attributes of our opposite numbers.

If your personality type is ‘Thinker’, you will tend to be logical and fact driven with a preference for order and reason and you are most likely to also be a Thoughtful Dresser.  In extremis, you will probably own a meticulously curated capsule wardrobe with a limited colour palette that can be mixed and matched so that all your pieces will work together and take you from work to an evening out.  You will plan ahead, checking details from the weather forecast to who you are meeting and the impression you want to make.  Your wardrobe will be highly organised and your clothes and accessories will be kept in pristine condition and neatly arranged in an orderly fashion.  You are unlikely to be an impulse buyer and will choose quality over quantity, perhaps buying one or two key pieces a season, or for a special occasion.

If you are a ‘Feeler’ personality you will tend to be more creative and emotionally driven, perhaps others might see you as slightly chaotic at times.  Whereas the Thoughtful Dresser is ordered and thinks of clothes as functional, as an Emotional Dresser you will love your clothes and will often buy randomly on impulse and have a wardrobe stuffed with clothes that don’t necessarily go together.  You probably won’t plan what you’re going to wear, but you will be able to put together a look that, usually, works, even if this means half the clothes in your wardrobe are discarded on the floor in the process! 

Of course, these are very crude stereotypes to make a point, but the clothes you choose and how you wear them do reflect your personality and they do say something about who you are, even though you may not realise it.  There are times, however, where Thoughtful Dressers could experience a thrill from a bit more spontaneity and Emotional Dressers could benefit from more consideration when buying and storing their clothes.   

So if you’re a Thoughtful Dresser and something catches your eye that’s way outside your comfort zone, but gives you that frisson of excitement, don’t overthink it, give it a go! You may not need it now, but if it looks great then you will love wearing it and find the occasions. Isn’t it so often the case that when you do have a special occasion coming up you can’t find anything in the shops that fits the bill! If your wardrobe is a sea of good taste and monochromes, then try adding a pop of colour, or a piece of statement jewellery.

If you’re an Emotional Dresser then your wardrobe could probably do with some thoughtful culling. Start by taking out all your clothes, laying them out and taking out anything that is worn out and has lost its oomph or that no longer fits. You probably have emotional attachments to a lot of your clothes, but if you’re not going to wear them any more and they’re still in good condition, take them to the charity shop or sell them on eBay so someone else can enjoy them as much as you have. Once you’ve sorted out the keepers - and this could be an ongoing process - then see what outfits you can put together. from what’s left. If there are items that really don’t go with anything else, put them on the out pile because you’re probably never going to wear them. Having less clothes, but clothes that work together will give you more space and actually more choice of ensambles. When you’re out shopping and fall in love with something, try and think before you buy! What will it go with? When will you wear it? Do you need it - have you already got other similar items at home? You get the picture.

Whether you’re a Thoughtful or an Emotional Dresser, try taking a leaf or two out of your opposite number’s book and see what happens!