Enclothed Cognition: How What You Wear Shapes How You Think and Perform

Hosts Cole Bastian and Phil Dixon discuss “enclothed cognition,” the research-backed effect of clothing on the wearer’s psychology and biology, framed by Bastian’s ritual of wearing two mohair jackets for keynotes and colleagues’ equivalents like high heels and red lipstick. Citing Adam and Galinsky’s 2012 lab-coat study, they explain that effects require both a garment’s symbolic meaning and the physical act of wearing it. They review a meta-analysis of 40 studies (~4,000 participants), a Kraus and Mendes negotiation study where business suits reduced concessions and stabilized testosterone compared with sweatpants, and Slepian’s findings that formal clothing increases abstract thinking via felt power. They cover posture and symbolism in heels and studies on lipstick and red’s associations with dominance and visibility, then offer practical advice: build deliberate associations, use specific “power” items, drop embarrassment, and dress intentionally even for remote work.

00:00 Power Garments Story

02:22 What Is Enclothed Cognition

03:28 Lab Coat Breakthrough

06:06 Suits Change Biology

08:13 Formal Wear Big Picture

10:28 Your Clothes Your Meaning

11:38 Heels And Lipstick Science

16:37 Putting On The Jacket

18:11 Practical Takeaways

20:51 Remote Work Still Counts

21:39 Meaning Plus Wearing

23:10 Final Challenge And Signoff