Aesthetic Intelligence entails an appreciation of the senses — how and why various sensations trigger certain emotions and how to use aesthetic cues to create pleasurable and desirable experiences. In today’s episode, we decided to get personal and talk about people’s use (and misuse) of fashion cues and the effect that clothes have on our moods and wellbeing.

In our quest to figure out how to put our own wardrobe to better use, make wiser shopping decisions, and rediscover joy through dressing, we invited our friend and favorite stylist, Cynthia Carr Gardner, to join us at A.I. Labs and share her advice. Here, we summarize her insights.