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In the past two weeks, a typical local event has made news around the world: Charles Middle School in El Paso, Texas, has banned all-black attire starting next school year, because the color scheme has “become associated with depression, mental health issues, and criminal activity, rather than with happy, healthy kids who are eager to learn.”
The response was swift and intense. “Mental health and depression have no color. They have no clothes,” said Krista Wongate, director of child and adolescent services at Emergence Health Network in El Paso.
Community member Alex Lucero also disagreed, saying, “The color of clothing has nothing to do with one’s ability to do anything or feel any emotion.”
In recent years, a new field of study called “fashion psychology” has emerged at universities around the world. (iStock)
The response was successful and the dress code was rescinded.
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When it comes to social, cultural, psychological, and political issues, there is one book we can always refer to for guidance: the Torah.
Let’s start with Genesis 28. This may be a key event in early Jewish history. Rebekah had only a few hours to prevent her husband, Isaac, from making a huge mistake and giving the blessing of eternal Jewish leadership to her impulsive, thoughtless, and undisciplined son, Esau.
She had a replacement: Esau’s twin, Jacob. If Rebekah could convince Isaac that Jacob was in fact Esau, her husband would falsely but irrevocably bless Jacob. At that moment, the future of God’s plan for the earth was in her hands.
The problem is, we’re told that Jacob “dwelt in tents,” meaning he spent his time studying, away from the troubles of the world. He’s never pulled off anything like the tricks she wants him to pull. How can she quickly make Jacob more like Esau? She has a solution: she tells Jacob to wear his brother’s “favourite garment.”
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Why Esau’s “favorite clothes”? First of all, why Esau’s clothes? Isaac was blind, so he couldn’t see what Jacob was wearing. The clothes were not meant to deceive Isaac. They were meant to change Jacob. Rebekah knew that a person becomes what he wears. Indeed, the young man who “lived in tents” unleashed the most important scheme in history.
As we move from the first book of the Torah to the last book, Deuteronomy, we have Moses’ speech about what the Jews need to emphasize in order to be a free people in the Promised Land.
Moses expounded on the law in Leviticus, commanding, “You shall not wear wool and linen together.” The ancient rabbis interpreted this commandment very strictly, requiring that if a person was wearing wool and linen in public, he should remove the garment rather than continue wearing it.
Why is the commandment not to mix wool and linen so important? It has to do with the Torah’s idea of separation. We sanctify things by separating them. For example, we sanctify the Sabbath by separating it from all other days. Formally, we sanctify marriage by separating our wives from all other women under the chuppah (marriage canopy). The commandment not to mix wool and linen equips us with the concept of separation so that it will always be a part of us.
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Is it true that throughout the Torah we are what we wear?
1979 was a great year for Pittsburgh sports — the Steelers won the Super Bowl and the Pirates won the World Series — but there was a problem.
The Penguins started the season winning less than half their games. They made one change that was entirely under their control: they changed their uniforms from white and blue to black and gold. The results were there, but they didn’t show up in the wins and losses column. After they changed their uniforms, the Penguins’ penalty attempts increased by 50%.
Cornell professors Thomas Gilovich and Mark Frank wanted to see if this was a coincidence. It wasn’t. They looked at NFL and NHL foul data from 1970 to 1986. Of 28 NFL teams, five wore black uniforms. These teams ranked 1st, 3rd, 7th, 8th, and 12th in fouls. Of 23 NHL teams, five wore black uniforms. These teams ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, and 10th in fouls.
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Is there something special about sports that makes clothing have such a big impact on performance? No. The reasons and evidence that we become what we wear have been demonstrated in activities ranging from playing heavy metal drums to taking math tests, and are featured in a chapter on clothing in my upcoming book, God Was Right: How Modern Social Science Proves the Truth of the Torah.
A classic example was published in 2012 at Northwestern University, where professors Hayo Adam and Adam Galinsky gave two groups of study participants identical lab coats: they told one group that the coat was a painter’s coat, and the other that it was a doctor’s coat.
The researchers found that people who were shown the doctor’s coats performed significantly better on tasks that required attention to detail. “Clothing penetrates the body and the brain, putting the wearer in a different psychological state,” Galinsky explained.
In recent years, a new field of study called fashion psychology has emerged at universities around the world. Degrees in fashion psychology are offered at universities such as Purdue University, Pepperdine University, Arizona State University and the London School of Fashion. One of the leaders in this emerging field is Karen Pyne at the University of Hertfordshire.
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Professor Pine’s research led him to conclude that “it’s possible to think of a wardrobe of ‘happy clothes’ as a defense against ever feeling miserable again.” He recommends distinctive jewelry, playful patterns that evoke childhood, floral patterns that represent health, and bright colors that connect with nature.
There’s now a term for what Pine described: “dopamine dressing,” the concept that your choice of clothing significantly influences the release of dopamine, a “feel good” neurotransmitter associated with emotions such as pleasure, motivation, satisfaction, and joy.
While Pine’s specific advice may be novel and useful, the general truth she shares should resonate widely in light of recent experiences. When COVID-19 struck in March 2020, millions of people were suddenly forced to work from home. The usual norms and habits of the workplace quickly became outdated. How should people who work from home adapt? One guideline emerged, especially among those who care about their mental health.
On March 17, 2020, the BBC highlighted this as their number one recommendation in their article “Coronavirus: 5 ways to make working from home more comfortable.” Dress appropriately. Various studies published after the pandemic have confirmed that people who dress formally for work, whether they work from home or in an office, are mentally healthier, more productive, and more successful than those who don’t.
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Thus, the Torah, validated by contemporary social science and experience, illuminates for El Paso, as it always has, the path of truth for any social, cultural, psychological, or political question.
The Charles Middle School administrators were absolutely right that student attitudes and grades are heavily influenced by what they wear, and they were also correct in concluding that it would be unwise for a group of students who may have mental health issues to wear all black.
The only thing they got wrong was acknowledging the patently false notion that “mental health and depression have nothing to do with clothing” and that “the colour of your clothes has nothing to do with your ability to do things or feel emotions”.
In a few weeks, our kids will be heading back to school, and we as parents are preparing them for everything from school supplies to class selections, transportation arrangements to choosing after-school activities, easing social anxiety to doctor’s appointments.
Torah and social science tell us as parents: “Remember what matters most: what your child wears.” As the voices of God and science tell us, the primary function of clothing has nothing to do with temperature regulation or aesthetics. Clothing has everything to do with helping us feel, think, and act the way we want to.
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How can parents help their children this time of year as they begin the new school year? They can follow King Solomon’s teaching: “Train up a child according to his way.” It’s important to note that “his” is singular. Parents who want their children to thrive in the new school year should consider the following: Specific Understand each child’s talents and challenges and dress them accordingly.
If we have a daughter who suffers from depression, we should follow Pine’s advice and fill her closet with bright colors and floral patterns.
If we have a son who struggles with confidence issues, we should channel our inner Rebecca and tell him to wear his “favorite outfit” to school – a Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant or Aaron Judge jersey.
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If you have a child who has trouble concentrating on their homework, you should tell them to wear button-down shirts and ironed pants, even if and especially when they are studying alone in their room.
We can explain to our children, and to ourselves, that this advice isn’t childish. It’s universal. As adults, we should also think about how we want to feel and who we want to be, and dress accordingly.
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