Chapter 1 Understanding Clothing 33 color is one of your best and the style is very fashionable right now. When you know you look good, you feel better about yourself. Sometimes the opposite happens. Suppose you got up late one morning and had to dress quickly. The clothes you grabbed did not go together well and had some stains on them. All day long you may have felt grumpy, embar- rassed, and uncomfortable because of the way you were dressed. Studies reveal that your feelings about yourself usually show in your appearance. Clothing refl ects your mental attitude. Do you try to look nice most of the time, but dress sloppily on some days? On these days, your choice of clothing may refl ect your unusual mood. Some teens think that looking good is never important. They do not feel that clothes can express their innermost feelings. However, most teens with positive self-concepts show this by dressing well. First Impressions Along with your self-concept, you have a public image. This is the way you look to others. Within a few seconds after meeting you, people form their impression of you. They may guess your age, size, nationality, and whether they would like to know you better. A fi rst impression is the way you feel about people when you fi rst meet them. The way people dress is one way they infl uence others’ impressions of them. Clothing is the fi rst thing you see. You notice clothing before you see faces or hear voices. Someone once said that clothing is a silent language—it speaks for those who wear it! Therefore, clothing is important in making a fi rst impression. What fi rst impression do you want others to have of you? If you want others to desire to get to know you better, start with a good fi rst impression. They will then make an effort to learn more about you. Infl uences on Clothing Choices As you know, clothes satisfy physical, psychological, and social needs. Clothes also communicate personality, values, and self-concept. What factors infl uence your clothing choices? Perhaps you need special clothes for dressy occasions, for certain sports, or for your hobbies. Maybe you need warm clothes for cold winters or extra swimsuits for days spent on the beach. These and other factors infl uence your clothing choices. Activities Your activities—where you go and what you do—also infl uence your cloth- ing choices. Attending school may be your most frequent activity. Therefore, most of the clothes you choose will be for school wear. In most instances, you can wear these same outfi ts for such leisure activities as attending ball games, going shopping or to the movies, or just hanging out with friends. If you work part-time, you may need special clothes for your job. A uni- form or sturdy work pants and shirt may be a requirement. If you participate in sports, you may need clothing for these activities. Sports clothes need to be comfortable, protective, and durable.