Fashion Findings: A study helps you and your closet get along

Fashion can be a lot of work. Each morning we stand in front of our closets and enter into the journey of trying to find an outfit: What should I wear today? Which pants would go best with this top? Should I be crazy today or subtle? I wonder if that green necklace I have would work with this?

With all of the options and inputs, fashion will always be somewhat of a challenge. However, Kurt Gray, Peter Schmidt, Nina Strohminger and Karim Kassam could have just made it a little easier.

Last month they released findings of a study they conducted on what makes an outfit fashionable. 

The conclusion? Don't be matchy and don't clash.

In other words, embrace moderation.

The study- The Science of Style: In Fashion, Colors Should Match OnlyModerately- was completed by 74 male and 165 female participants. Each participant saw 30 different color combinations in outfits, which were selected quasi-randomly, and were asked to rank the outfit.

In the women's results, more color-coordination was linked to more fashionableness. However, a vote of being fashionable was only achieved if the color combinations didn't clash too much.

This is the first analysis ever done on fashion. Even though the industry is worth $1.7 trillion, fashion has not been seen as something to actually study.

Kurt Gray said they had a lot running against them.

“Even though this is something that matters so much to our everyday experience, people often think that everyday experience is maybe too obvious to be studied empirically,” Gray told Simone.

However, fashion is a very important factor in human behavior. What you are wearing affects how you carry yourself, how you look at others and how you act.

This can help.

For those who don't have a mind for fashion, or have trouble knowing how to put outfits together, something like this study can be really helpful.

Take the idea of moderation under consideration anytime you look at your closet. As a born fashion-thinker, I can attest to the idea. The goal of an outfit is to look creative, while not looking like you are trying too hard.

It should be noted though that this is not THE answer. There are always exceptions. If you can pull off a crazy look, go for it. The opposite can be said as well.

Take Kate Middleton for example, who was just inducted into Vanity Fair's Fashion Hall of Fame. Her style is classic and simple, yet people still love the way she dresses.

Overall

Use the idea of moderation in your outfits. However, if you find something different you feel confident in and compliments who you are, don't use moderation as an excuse not to try it.

Check this out for more fashion tips.