The Link Between Style and Academic Success
Written by: Favour Babasola, 1st Year Medical Science
Photo by: Unsplash
Your alarm rings at 7:00 a.m. on a foggy Monday morning. Demotivated, tired and groggy with a class scheduled for 8:30 a.m., you face a split-second choice. You could sleep in and wake up 20 minutes before class, rushing while throwing on whatever clothes you can find, or you could get out of bed and take the time to dress intentionally for the day. At that moment, the former seems like the more tempting decision. However, taking time out of your day to dress in the way you feel most confident—even for class—can increase learning capabilities and productivity at school.
Confidence is directly correlated with increased academic performance. Confident students are more likely to try different, more effective study habits and have lower levels of test-taking anxiety. Higher degrees of confidence also allow students to engage more actively in their learning through class discussions and asking questions. Moreover, confidence allows people to be more willing to work through challenges and build problem-solving skills. These benefits result from a high degree of self-trust and self-esteem, leading to overall higher academic success. While academic confidence is often forged through activities such as studying, asking for feedback, and celebrating accomplishments, how one presents oneself physically also plays an undeniable role.
While what we wear affects how others perceive us, it also has substantial effects on our thoughts and actions. Indulging in self-expression through clothing, make-up, and accessories allows people to feel more comfortable in their bodies, creating a positive perception of oneself. The idea that clothing systematically influences how people think, feel, and behave is a phenomenon more formally referred to as enclothed cognition.
Enclothed recognition encompasses two key components: symbolic meaning and physical experience. Symbolic meaning refers to the more abstract social significance of the clothing item. The physical experience arises through the act of wearing the clothes. A study conducted by Hajo Adam and Adam D. Galinsky—the pair who created the term ‘enclothed cognition’—investigated how wearing lab coats influenced performance on an attention test compared to wearing regular clothes. The results indicated that the people wearing the lab coats performed significantly better. This concept can also be applied to attentiveness within school environments.
Through their mutual links to confidence, a strong correlation exists between dressing nicely and academic success. The comfort of wearing something that makes you feel good contributes to the same self-confidence that helps you feel ready during an exam or assertive during class. So, working to improve your confidence through delving into your style can lead to academic improvement. In a place like a university, where exam schedules can be hectic, and workload can feel overwhelming, it is easy to feel powerless. There is a sense of control in actively choosing what to wear that provides a sense of self-assurance.
In a world where many are constantly told school is “not a fashion show,” research demonstrates that there is more room for fashion in school settings than we might think. I am not suggesting that anyone should sacrifice needed study time or sleep to choose an outfit for exam day. However, presenting yourself in the way that you feel most confident, along with being well-rested and well-prepared, is an evident recipe for success.
References
Horton, C. B., Adam, H., & Galinsky, A. D. (2025). Evaluating the Evidence for Enclothed Cognition: Z-Curve and Meta-Analyses. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 51(2), 203-221. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672231182478
Driver, A. (2023, October 30). How does confidence affect academic performance?. Glean. https://glean.co/blog/how-does-confidence-affect-academic-performance
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