SWNYCONFIDENT by Marie Haaland
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
It only costs $627 to feel like a million dollars, according to new research.
From clothing and shoes to accessories, the average American needs just over six hundred dollars to perfect their look.
The study of 2,000 Americans looked into what it takes for people to feel their best and found you don’t have to break the bank to deliver a glittering feel.
Respondents were asked to calculate the total amount they spent when putting together the outfit they feel their absolute best in.
Results revealed that Americans spend an average of $205 for their best clothes and shoes, as well as $214 for accessories and a further $208 on anything else necessary to pull together their look.
Conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by Lightbox, the survey found that when wearing their best clothes, people report feeling more confident (53 percent), happier (37 percent) and more beautiful (29 percent).
And people were found to be most likely to wear their best look when out with friends – 41 percent report this as the time they’d pull out their favorite outfit.
Our friends, like our best look, are a source of confidence for us: Six in 10 respondents feel more confident when they’re with friends.
And women may be pulling out their best look for Galentine’s Day, which 37 percent of female respondents are trying to celebrate this year.
For women, their best look most commonly includes jeans (59 percent) and a T-shirt (37 percent) or a blouse (37 percent). Boots were the top-chosen shoe (24 percent).
Jeans also came in first place for men’s go-to clothing for their best outfit (64 percent), followed by a T-shirt (57 percent) and a jacket (43 percent).
A suit came in fourth on the list, with 42 percent of male respondents saying it would be part of their best look.
For men, sneakers were the top shoe choice (43 percent), then dress shoes (25 percent).
Accessories were found to be the most expensive part of the outfit – and for good reason: Over a third of respondents report their best look including a necklace (35 percent), a ring (36 percent) and/or earrings (36 percent).
“People feel their best in clothing that lets them feel youthful and on the move, and a really great piece of jewelry – like a lab-grown diamond pendant or studs – just pulls it all together and adds a touch of polish without breaking the bank,” said Sally Morrison, the chief marketing officer of Lightbox.
Seventeen percent of respondents say they wouldn’t leave the house without jewelry, while another third (34 percent) report wearing it most of the time.
Results found that respondents’ say an outfit is their best look because it makes them feel confident (48 percent), makes them feel stylish (36 percent) and allows them to express themself (31 percent).
Only 35 percent of respondents believe their best look is also their most expensive outfit.
And 62 percent agree that the way an outfit makes them feel is more important than the cost.
Morrison said, “As clothing now is more about comfort and, through fast fashion, a vehicle for experimentation, jewelry today acts as the true anchor of the wardrobe, the thing that ‘sparks joy,’ as lifestyle guru Marie Kondo puts it, and tells the world about your true self.”