Why you wear what you wear

“We asked in our research whether fashion aesthetics could be studied empirically, and not only discovered it can, but that it opens the door to better understanding factors that guide people in their everyday clothing preferences. Further analysis found that preferences across each of these styles were associated with the color preferences and the self-reported traits (e.g., personality) of study participants. More specifically, prominent color preferences for those who liked and owned feminine clothing (e.g., dresses and skirts) consisted of lilac, violet, pink, turquoise, and dark red. For people who wore essential clothing (e.g., shirts and jackets), dark blue, blue, and brown were the favored colors. On the other hand, individuals who liked and owned essential clothing tended to be sociable and exhibited emotional stability and higher energy.