Clothes for the Blah Days

Good news, dear gentlemen readers: we’ll be featuring a weekly column by GoodwillNyNj Style Icon David Morgan all about secondhand fashion for men. This week: mood-altering outfits. Trippy, man… Enjoy!

My happy outfit, 100% thrifted from top to bottom (including the shoes)!

What do you wear on your “blah” days, those days when everything is grey and all you want to do is sleep? We all have them, yet most of us don’t have the convenience of stopping everything in our lives to wait for the “blah-ness” to be over. Life still moves; there is much work to do and never much time to do it. On days like this, what you should wear is often the least important decision on your mind. In fact, sweatpants and a wrinkled tee seem like the only saving grace. Instead of opting for that couch potato uniform, consider these tips for choosing an outfit on your “blah” day:

– Think of the psychological effects of color. Steer clear of the greys and blacks, and even the darker hues of other colors when feeling “blah.” Green is the easiest color your eyes can see, and is often known for encouraging feelings of peace (think of how images of nature make you feel.) Similarly, yellow and orange often produce feelings of optimism, and are known for stimulating creativity (like a sunny day). Purple and bright blues always make me feel happy too. Of course there exceptions to every rule (some say yellow has adverse affects), but try incorporating these and other colors colors into your look on your sad days and you may notice a difference! Check out these great articles here and here to learn more about Color Psychology.

– Wear your best fit. Gloomy days are not the best days for wearing clothing that is too tight or too loose. Tight clothes can encourage subconscious feelings of confinement and anxiety, while loose clothes may leave you feeling apathetic or lazy. Be sure to wear your best-fitting and most flattering clothes on your “blah” days.

– Opt out of loud prints. I would recommend a clean color palette on those days when you’re feeling down. While a frenetic print is visually stimulating, it may be a bit much on a day when you are already emotionally vulnerable, and could even encourage feelings of anger (it’s like watching an action movie when you just feel like crying). Instead, try softer, plain colors, or a very simple pattern like polka dots or stripes.

My thrifted green, polka dotted always cheers me up.

– Choose soft fabrics. When you’re feeling sad, choose luxurious fabrics to wear like a silk tie, a cashmere sweater or your best cotton shirt. I strongly believe that all of our senses influence our emotion, even the sense of touch. Similarly, put on a bit of your favorite cologne or perfume to make your sense of smell happy.

Hey! C'mon get happy! 🙂

Now that you have a fabulous outfit on in spite of your gloomy disposition, the last, equally important thing to do is to look in the mirror and smile. Turn that frown upside down!