What’s The Emotional Cost Of Looking Good?

Who do you dress for exactly and what is psychology behind dressing up? Read here for an in-depth analysis!

Let’s be real for a second. We chat trends, drops, and outfits all day long, but rarely about the little meltdowns that happen behind the mirror. The trial rooms that quietly chip away at your self-worth. The panic carts full of clothes you don’t even want, bought the night before a high-stakes event. The outfit that looks flawless on her but leaves you spiraling in front of your wardrobe, wondering what the heck went wrong? Read this insight by Pooja Lalwani, Founder & CEO, Slayrobe.

We have all accepted this emotional choreography, a tug, an adjustment, a settling, as if it is just part of the deal. But guess what? It is not. This is not just a styling glitch. It is a full-on self-image crisis in designer clothes.

And it is costing us way more than just our wallets.

When Fashion Becomes a Mirror You Didn’t Sign Up For

Fashion sells confidence or at least the promise of it. “Wear this, feel good.” “Look like her, own the room.” But nobody talks about the crash that comes after the hype.

That moment when the piece does not work. When you catch your reflection and instead of feeling yes, it is more like huh? The questions flood in: Why does this not work on me? Should I have gone down a size? Is it my arms? My shape? And who do we blame? Our bodies. Because that is what the system has been telling us all along. The problem is you, and not the clothes!

Therapy? More Like Trying On Your Feelings

Trying on clothes is weirdly like therapy. Yes, it is and it’s hard to disagree!

There is vulnerability. Standing in front of that mirror, exposed not just physically but emotionally. The inner dialogue: Does this say strong? Soft? Put together? Or is it screaming, try again?

And the patterns. Why do we keep picking clothes that do not feel like us? Each trial room visit is like a therapy session with no therapist. No space to unpack why we keep doing the same thing or ask the big questions. Why do I feel like I have to perform every time I get dressed?

Nope, just a receipt and that same invisible weight disguised as retail therapy.

The Panic Cart: Styling or Survival?

We have all been there, the panic cart, piled high the night before something important. Clutching at clothes that promise safety or control without a moment to ask, is this even me? We may think that this is styling but that is survival mode, actually!

Here is the truth: We do not need more inspiration. We need fewer spirals. Because if fashion really mirrors therapy, then patterns matter. And good questions can peel back those layers.

Why do I keep buying versions of myself I am trying to outgrow? Why does something meant to be fun leave me feeling lost? And most importantly, what actually works for me?

Here is the Real Question

In therapy, the ‘aha’ moment, usually comes when you realize the thing you are trying to fix is not the problem at all.

Style is no different. We do not just dress to impress. We dress to protect, edit, even hide. But when was the last time you asked yourself, whose am I really dressing for?

Maybe it is time to stop letting your wardrobe do the heavy lifting for your self-worth. Instead of obsessing over what looks good on me, we should rather ask- When did getting dressed start to feel like a compromise instead of a celebration?

Because here is the truth: fashion is not supposed to make you feel small, uncertain, or exhausted. It is supposed to make you feel alive, fierce and completely you!

The real breakthrough can happen when you stop chasing outfits to fix how you feel and start dressing to celebrate who you are.

So ditch the panic cart. Skip the silent spirals in the fitting room. And start dressing for the one person who truly matters – and that is YOU!

 

First Published: September 13, 2025 4:06 PM