Section 2. Task 1. Psychology of clothes.
So you really believe that clothes carry a kind of message for other people and that what we put on is in some way a reflection what we feel? Oh, yes, very much so.

People are beginning now to take seriously the idea of a kind of psychology of clothing, to believe that there is not just individual taste in our clothes but also a thinking behind what we wear which is trying to express something we may not even be aware of ourselves.

But surely this has always been the case. We all dress up when we want to impress someone, such as for a job interview with a prospective employer, we tend to make an effort to put on something smart.

True, but that's a conscious act. What I'm talking about is more of a subconscious thing. Take for example, the student who is away from home at college or university, if he tends to wrap himself up more than the others, this is because he is probably feeling homesick. Similarly, a general feeling of insecurity can sometimes take the form of over-dressing in warmer clothes than are necessary.

Can you give any other examples of this kind? Yes, I think people who are sociable and outgoing tend to dress in an extrovert way, preferring brighter and more dazzling colours, yellows, bright reds, and so on.

In the same way, what might be seen as a parallel with the animal kingdom, aggressive clothes might indicate an aggressive personality or attitude to life. Think about the threat displays used by animals when they want to warn off opponents.

Do you think the care or lack of it over the way we actually wear our clothes has anything to tell us? Yes, indeed. The length, for example, of a man's trousers speaks volumes about his awareness of his own image. Or, if his trousers are at half-mast, all sort of hanging down, this probably means he's absorbed by other things.