Social Anxiety May Play Into Fashion Choices

Mental illness is no fashion statement, but it could affect the ones people are willing to make. According to The Science of Us at New York Magazine, new research implies that socially anxious people are less likely to make prestigious purchases and often avoid instantly recognizable brands.

An experiment conducted by The Missouri School of Journalism attempted to determine the factors that would cause an individual to disassociate or try to distance themselves from a certain brand or logo (think the Abercrombie moose once y'all graduated from middle school). And for an added twist, the experiment featured brands and designers that the majority of the public would consider elite and high end (no cheapo knock-offs or bargain bin finds here).

The 391 participants were asked to rate Old Navy polo shirts and Ralph Lauren polo shirts —some with large, in-your-face logos and others with smaller, more subtle ones. When it came to the prestigious brand (in this case, the Ralph Lauren polo), those participants who previously tested as being more sensitive to social cues than the average person tended to prefer the smaller logos. Why? A tote bag covered in Gucci logos is a sure attention grabber — something that those with social anxiety typically try to avoid. The paper, published in Marketing Letters, explains:

Desiring assimilation with others, these individuals are chronically apprehensive about the reactions of their peers... [and] consequently keep a low profile in their brand choices, preferring to blend in and not stand out.

If you've ever spoken to someone suffering from social anxiety, you know that that's a very common wish that could factor into everything from their Saturday night plans to their career choice. And now, even fashion isn't safe from Ye Olde Anxiety Monster...

In my perfect world, everyone would be running around in a head-to-toe Burberry tartan print without a care in the world. But my perfect world is not yours and if an all black, logo-less ensemble is what can give you the confidence to face the day ahead, then you rock it like it's Prada, baby. Isn't that what fashion is all about anyway? Finding confidence through the clothes? Social anxiety shouldn't hold you back from wearing what you love!

Images: RalphLauren.com, Giphy.com