Personality Traits and Dress: Compulsive Style

Well, we've finally come to the last part of our five-part series on Personality Traits and Dress (see previous posts, here, here, here, and here). This series has been so much fun and I'm sad that it's come to an end *sulk face here*. But our featured personality type certainly won't let you see her tears. She is the most straitlaced of them all. Here is compulsive style:

Illustration: Ann Shen

Those with compulsive personality traits have strong perfectionistic tendencies. They practice discipline and self-restraint, and are conscientious about following the rules, or at least desire to be perceived as such. You may call them goody two-shoes, Pollyana, or even drill sergeants but I'm sure many of us can relate to the desire to have things done "the right" way. If you have a predominate compulsive style, there isn't a hair out of place, or an unintended crease in your shirt. You may even be inclined to have matching accessories. You are perfectly prim and proper, and will have it no other way. In short, your outfits always read, "I'm packaged to perfection." Can you relate to the compulsive style?

Personality Traits and Dress: Depressive Style

Are you ready for part 4 of our 5-part series, Personality Traits and Dress? If you missed previous posts on Narcissistic, Histrionic, and Dependent styles, you can find them here, here, and here. This week we're showcasing the downer Debbie of the bunch. It's one thing to feel depressed, but what does depressive style look like ? This is what I imagine:

Depressive Style

Illustration: Ann Shen

It goes without saying that someone with a depressive style is, well… depressive. Perhaps not to the point where they're not functioning, but they seem to carry with them a sense of doom and gloom. And quite frankly, it’s difficult to feel upbeat in their presence. Most of us have all been down and out at some point in our lives but thankfully many of us are able to bounce back and experience a sense of joy. But if you have a predominate depressive style, it may not be so easy to bounce back, and this may be reflected in your style of dress. If you only wear dark colors or neutral styles, sure you may look presentable, but the lack of joy you feel shows in your clothing. And after a while your drab look may even start to reinforce your negative feelings. Maybe you’ve decided that clothes don’t matter. Or maybe you’ve given up shopping altogether, and decided that the clothes you have in your closet will do just fine no matter how outdated or tired they may look. Either way, you’re outfits always read, “Don’t bother looking at me. There’s not much to see.”

Do you know anyone with depressive style? What has your experience been with them?

Personality Traits and Dress: Dependent Style

dependent style

Welcome to another installment of Personality Traits and Dress! Here we are at part 3 (see the other parts here and here) of our 5-part mini-series, and I don't know about you, but I'm really enjoying see these personality traits come to life through clothes. This is Dependent Style, the copycat cutie of the bunch.

Illustration: Ann Shen

Some people are more inclined to be submissive, and reluctant to assert their authority. Like the histrionic style, these individuals are dependent upon others, but in a more passive way. Rather than demand attention from others as is typical of the histrionic, they are likely to look to others for guidance and direction. These are the friends that rarely initiate a plan, and go along with most whatever you say. While too many dependent features can be problematic, many of us, at some point in our lives, have been reliant on others to help us make difficult decisions. I know I have. But if you have a predominate dependent style, perhaps you feel paralyzed when it comes to putting together an outfit and require the assistance of a close friend to assure you that you look fine. Or maybe you may be inclined to wear an outfit exactly as you saw it worn in the store or in a magazine just to be sure you are wearing it right. That is, you’re outfits always read, “I want to look just like you.” Ever feel like you rely too much on trends or others when putting together an outfit?

Personality Traits and Dress: Histrionic Style

Hey all! This week we're featuring part 2 of our 5 part mini-series, Personality Traits and Dress. (You can see part 1 here.) That's where we show personality traits (not personality disorders) as expressed through dress. While it's grounded in our understanding of personality traits/disorders,  we're really just having fun with these illustrations. Wouldn't you agree?  Here is Histrionic Style, the drama queen of all the personality traits.

 illustration by Ann Shen

You know that friend who’s constantly seeking excitement and attention, and never forgoes an opportunity to perform or be the center of it all. Well, that’s the “histrionic friend.” Dramatic as all get out, these individuals are pros at drawing attention to themselves. There are many overlapping features between the narcissistic and histrionic style, and in fact some people have both. But the histrionic person is more likely to depend upon attention and approval to feel a sense of adequacy, whereas the narcissist uses the attention to validate their sense of being special or different than others.  If you have a histrionic style of dress, you are inclined to stand out from the rest. We may find you in purple hair, massive amounts of jewelry, or anything else that might be a conversation starter.  I think we’ve all wanted to stand out from time-to-time, don’t you? But if you have a predominant histrionic style, your outfits always read, “I’m here, feel free to look. In fact, I’d prefer it.” I can think of quite a few people who fit this description. How about you?

Personality Traits and Dress: Narcissistic Style

I'm excited to be presenting my new five part mini-series, "Personality Traits and Dress" with the help of the oh-so-talented illustrator, Ann Shen. I got the idea for this series several months ago when I was asked by the Magnolia Project to give a workshop on fashion psychology. That's where we use psychological theories to help explain our wardrobe behaviors. Needless to say, I've been reading a lot of books about fashion and psychology, and one that I love is You are What You Wear: What Your Clothes Reveal About you, written by clinical psychologist, Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner. It features case studies of clients whose clothing reveals deeper-seated emotional issues. While the book doesn’t talk about personality traits per se, I administer and analyze personality assessments for a living, and thought it would be cool to highlight the connection between our personality and our clothing. Let's be clear that personality traits are not to be confused with full-blown personality disorders. A PD is actually a serious illness that prevents individuals from having healthy relationships and warrants clinical intervention. But we all have personality traits or features that affect how we function in our daily lives. Some of us may be may be very orderly and disciplined, others of us may be very emotional and outgoing, and still others may be more submissive and reliant on others. If you’re worried about having a personality disorder, it may be helpful to know that people with full-blown personality disorders typically do not acknowledge having one. In fact, they usually perceive everyone else as having the problem, hence the term personality disorder (ha!). Keep in mind that this series is just a fun exercise and not based upon hard core research. But who knows, it may inspire me to do some research on the topic. There are quite a few personality styles out there, so each series I'll be featuring a different one, starting with narcissistic style.

Narcissistic_Final_R2_V2

Most of us have heard the term narcissist thrown about, and it typically refers to a seemingly confident, egotistical person who has a tendency to be self-involved at the expense of others. If we're honest, most of us can think of a time when we’ve been more self-involved than we should have been, confident or not. But wearing an air of confidence in the form of clothing may not be such a bad thing, unless of course you stick your nose up while wearing it. If you have a narcissistic style, perhaps you’re inclined to take fashion risks with ease, have no problem wearing a t-shirt and jeans because you “got it like that,” and/or will wear nothing less than your go-to designer duds because your wardrobe must reflect quality. Either way, your outfits always read, “I’m special. Go ahead, admire me." Sound familiar?  Tell us about it in the comments. ♥