Here's an idea worth playing with

In this episode of Here's An Idea Worth Playing With, I cover the science of clothing and appearance. 

Your clothes don’t just influence how others see you — they shape your own confidence, focus, and performance. In this episode, I explore the fascinating psychology of appearance: how clothing affects first impressions, why it can boost or drain your confidence, and the science behind “felt power".

Discover how to use simple outfit choices and symbolic “uniforms” to show up at your best — whether at work, in the gym, or in everyday life.

We often underestimate the role of clothing in our lives. But science suggests what we wear impacts more than style — it influences how people perceive us, how we perceive ourselves, and even how well we perform.

In this episode, I share:
  • Why first impressions are shaped by appearance—and why context matters.
  • How clothing boosts self-confidence when it feels authentic and expressive.
  • Research on “felt power” and how formal clothing sharpens focus.
  • The concept of enclothed cognition—and why a lab coat makes people perform better.
  • How to build your own set of symbolic uniforms to trigger focus and performance.
Key Takeaways
  1. First impressions are contextual. Match your clothing to your purpose, audience and environment.
  2. Authenticity matters. Wear clothes that feel true to you — confidence flows from alignment.
  3. Create symbolic uniforms. Assign outfits to important activities and let them trigger focus and flow.
For a much richer article and full bibliography and references, visit the blog article : https://www.cultivatedmanagement.com/the-power-of-clothing/

References
  • Adam, H., Galinsky, A.D., 2012. Enclothed cognition. J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 48, 918–925.
  • Slepian, M.L., Ferber, S.N., Gold, J.M., Rutchick, A.M., 2015. The Cognitive Consequences of Formal Clothing. Soc. Psychol. Personal. Sci. 6, 661–668.
  • Stuart, E.W., Fuller, B.K., 1991. Clothing as communication in two business-to-business sales settings. J. Bus. Res. 23, 269–290.
  • University of Ljubljana et al., 2014. Clothes and Costumes as Form of Nonverbal Communication. Tekstilec 57, 321–333.

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Creators and Guests

Host
Rob Lambert
I’m Rob Lambert — helping people turn ideas into value through creativity, learning, and communication. “Here’s an Idea Worth Playing With” is where we explore the small sparks that make big systems work better.

What is Here's an idea worth playing with?

Here’s an Idea Worth Playing With is the conversation space of Cultivated — a modern publishing house for better work.

This is where ideas begin.

In occasional short episode, I explore early-stage thinking: the questions, tensions, and half-formed insights that surface before ideas are ready to be written, taught, or codified. It is a place for thoughtful exploration — not finished arguments.

These are not polished frameworks or conclusions.
They are working ideas, shared in public as they take shape.

The series sits upstream of the published work — a thinking room where curiosity and ideas lead, and where new lines of thought are tested before they become part of the wider Cultivated body of work.

For people who enjoy reflective conversations about work, creativity, meaning, and how ideas are formed in the first place.

Not instruction.
Not performance.
But exploration.

A quiet place to think out loud — and see what might grow.