Dressed to Belong: Clothing, Confidence, and Social Identity Among University Students

Um E Ammara, Prof Zhang Zhe

social identity, self-assurance, power of getting dressed, cross-national qualitative study, Pakistan

Clothing is much more than a protection or a modesty tool; it is a tool that influences the way individuals see themselves and the way they are seen by others. The way people dress reflects their identity and self-esteem in daily life through a mixture of psychological, social, and cultural factors. This phenomenon is especially true in a group situation where university students dress for themselves but also in relation to their friends and where perceived looks may swiftly transfer into perceived social positions. This research explores the relationship between clothing, self-confidence, and social belonging for university students through semi-structured interviews with male and female students from four locations of the world. Drawing on social identity theory and enclothed cognition, the study employs a qualitative, interpretive approach to explore the relationship between personal style, peer comparison, and group context in the shaping of self-expression and self-esteem and how these dynamics are similarly or differently experienced in different cultural settings. The results show that clothing-based confidence is universally enhanced in group circumstances across all locations tested, but the precise triggers peer approbation, cultural pride, or social-media visibility differ by culture and gender context.

Received: 19 Jul 2026, Received in revised form: 14 Aug 2026, Accepted: 20 Aug 2026, Available online: 25 Aug 2026

10.22161/ijaers.138.9