Mental health awareness has gained traction and has become a critical relevant talking point in the last few years, mainly since the worldwide quarantine. As this topic gains prevalence in many industries in the business world, it continues a discussion in the fashion world. Designers can benefit from keeping mental health impacts and information in mind when working on their designs in a few different ways.
The Psychology of Self-Expression
Self-expression is a big part of our daily routine, whether people do it through artistic means or not. Developing self-expression can lead to a healthy mindset and personal wellbeing and helps consumers understand their passions and reach individual targets productively. Self-expression is also one of the critical factors of individualism, which contributes mainly to mental health.
Fashion Expression Has Positive Impacts
All fashion consumers express themselves through their clothing, style, and apparel wear. That’s because garments and style inherently showcase personality, culture, lifestyle, creativity, or a multitude of all these factors. Particularly, those who have difficulty expressing themselves with words or naturally tend toward introversion can benefit from using fashion expression to show their personalities, resulting in a mental health boost. Additionally, what people wear can give them a sense of confidence and self-worth, which can also tie into the impacts of fashion on mental health.
Particular Fabrics and Colours to Consider When Designing with Mental Health in Mind
Factors like the materials and colours of fashion apparel have subconscious effects on the wearer’s mental health. Some health-conscious consumers may be more inclined to wear materials, and natural fabrics are marked “clean” and include a low number of harmful chemicals and dyes when it comes to the fabrics. Some natural fabrics like these have:
- Bamboo
- Silk
- Linen
- Organic Cotton
- Wool
- Cashmere
Certain shades elicit moods when it comes to colour that can impact mental health. Some colours even cite mood impacts based on studies, like:
- Blue – Blue is an antidepressant colour and relaxing to the viewer.
- Green – Green can reduce anxiety and have a calming effect on the viewer.
- Gray, Brown, Black, and White – These colours can help people enter a meditative and zen state.
- Red, Pink, and Purple – These colours can inspire a sense of purpose and optimism.
- Orange and Yellow – These colours are both bold and humorous.
Focusing on these colours, particularly in fashion design, can help you positively impact your consumers’ subconscious moods, benefiting their mental health.
As you design your next season, bear in mind the ever-present correlation between mental health and fashion – especially if positive mental health is a cause your brand champions in its values or mission. Of course, various organisations raise mental health awareness that businesses can support and partner with, but looking at ways to incorporate positive mental health features and themes into product designs can also make an impact while tying more directly into your label’s bottom line.
