I write this while cocooned in my favorite hoodie, a beloved garment that has tenure in my wardrobe. At this moment, one with my couch, I am flirting with the idea of an afternoon nap. Sometimes I work from bed. I’m not exactly the poster child for productivity. But on the days I swap my emotional support hoodie for, say, a sweater, I sit up straighter at my desk. My emails are crisper. I act like a functional adult.
Clothes are psychological armor, and the hoodie is an invitation to dissolve into sentient fleece. It’s the sartorial equivalent of a Do Not Disturb sign. Studies support this: A 2023 paper published in the Academy of Management Journal found that employees who dressed better than usual experienced higher self-esteem and productivity. Another survey from 1999 reported that casual workwear policies were linked to increased tardiness and absenteeism. The hoodie encourages you to clock out.
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What we wear affects how we behave, think, and perform—a concept psychologists call “enclothed cognition.” Clothes carry meaning, and we absorb that meaning when we put them on. A notable experiment from Northwestern University found that people who wore lab coats, an item associated with intelligence, demonstrated better focus and task performance.
Whether we like it or not, clothes shape how others see us, too. Even in my remote world—where most of my professional interactions involve floating heads on screens—I ditch the hoodie for interviews and important meetings. Clothing sends a message. In a professional setting, a hoodie tells your boss, coworkers, or clients that you’d rather be anywhere else. That’s perfect for a lazy Sunday—it’s not so great for climbing the corporate ladder.
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