By Dr. Anna Rostomyan and Dr. Monika Klein
Did you know that fashion can be used to express your internal state by communicating non-verbally with your audience?
In today’s image-driven marketplace, communication extends far beyond spoken words and written messages. One of the most underestimated forms of communication in business is fashion. Clothing, accessories, and overall presentation function as strategic tools to convey identity, authority, competence, creativity, and cultural awareness—before a single word is spoken.
Introduction
Fashion operates as a structured system of non-verbal communication embedded within social, psychological, and cultural frameworks. Beyond its commercial and aesthetic functions, clothing serves as a semiotic medium through which designers and fashion consumers (otherwise referred to as “fashionistas”) express emotions, articulate ideologies, and communicate personal or collective truths. Drawing on theories from semiotics, social psychology, neuroscience, and sociology, this article examines how fashion encodes and transmits affective states, identity positions, and conceptual narratives within both individual and institutional contexts.
Fashion as a Powerful Means of Non-Verbal Communication
Kohler (2022) states that fashion, with its diverse range of garments, accessories, and styles, has the unique ability to convey a multitude of messages about a person. Through carefully curated outfits, individuals can exhibit their personal tastes and preferences. The choice of colors, fabrics, and silhouettes can reflect distinct aspects of one’s personality, whether it be boldness, elegance, or a rebellious spirit. By wearing clothing that resonates with their inner selves, individuals can create an outward projection of their true essence.
By wearing clothing that resonates with their inner selves, individuals can create an outward projection of their true essence.
To us, fashion is a type of art, and art is a way of expressing the internal states, feelings, beliefs, desires, aspirations, and inspirations of the artists. It is also a way of displaying the external reality through various pieces of art via the artist’s imagination. Here, the encoding and decoding processes of information come to the forefront, where the artist and / or the designer encodes a piece of information and, through non-verbal communication, the audience and the viewer(s) decode the intended information based on their experiences and knowledge, as well as feelings and emotions (Rostomyan, 2020).
Albert Mehrabian’s 7-38-55 Communication model notes that 55 percent of our emotional communication is visual and non-verbal (Mehrabian, 1968). Art capitalizes fully on this, meaning that the unsaid is not absence, but the primary mode of expression. Also, according to Mehrabian, in the process of interpersonal communication, a great deal of information is transmitted silently, without overt words, and has to be guessed by the analysis of non-verbal signs (Mehrabian, 1981). Furthermore, in the process of interpersonal communication, we not only exchange ideas and thoughts, but also share our internal emotions and feelings, which are imparted in speech through verbal, non-verbal, and paraverbal communication (see more in Rostomyan, 2020).
Let us examine these three main types of communication one by one:
- Verbal communication enables us to share our thoughts and ideas, emotions and feelings through words, phrases, expressions, quotes, and sentences;
- Non-verbal communication enables us to share our our thoughts and ideas, emotions and feelings through gestures and mimics, facial expressions, and posture;
- Paraverbal communication enables us to share our thoughts and ideas, emotions and feelings through our voice fluctuations, speech melody, speech, and rhythm of voice.
All of the aforementioned types of communication enable us to exchange information with our speaking partners. Moreover, if they function in unison, they become far more powerful and impactful.
As for fashion, in our opinion, it can be viewed as a powerful non-verbal means of communication, where both the designers and the fashion addicts speak with their target audience through their cloths, accessories, and other attributes. Moreover, far more remains unsaid in the process of design, production, and consumption, since the creation of fashionable artifacts is very tightly interconnected with the experience and expression of human emotions. Of course, nowadays AI is also being used in the design and production of fashionable items, yet the human factor is still there.
In this connection, it should be stated that the process of designer-customer communication does not happen instantly and sometimes what the designer wanted to non-verbally communicate and the fashionistas’ understanding of this or that fashion item might not be fully identical, yet sometimes this might truly occur. For this, the hermeneutic circle of Gadamer can be used to understand what the designer(s) wanted to convey through their fashionable pieces of art.
Hans-Georg Gadamer (1975) viewed this hermeneutic interpretation process as an “infinite conversation,” where the interpreter engages in a dialogue with the text/image/article to allow for self-correction. Gadamer viewed this hermeneutic process as the essential, unavoidable structure of human understanding, where the interpreter moves back and forth between the whole and its parts to achieve meaning. As for the modern thinkers, Sjors Timmer (2014), for example, believes that usually when we analyze something, we drive parallels with the past. Therefore, the author believes that both in art and design, this hermeneutic circle can be very helpful in trying to understand the whole image.
In referring to the hermeneutic circle in fashion, we mean that when developing, producing, and / or consuming a fashion item, we have to first and foremost understand the artist by means of having a deeper insight into their biography, their experienced emotions and feelings, the cultural impact on the artist’s life, the huge impact of their personal private life, their likes and dislikes, their inspirations and aspirations. Quite often, these might coincide with our very own beliefs and motivations, since when a designer of a fashion item resonates with us, it not only resonates with our likes and dislikes, but goes far beyond in touching our internal world. Thus, fashion can be viewed as far more than mere clothing trends, but can be regarded as a powerful means of self-expression.
When a designer of a fashion item resonates with us, it not only resonates with our likes and dislikes, but goes far beyond in touching our internal world.
Carl Jung’s 12 archetypes (1959) in branding are universal, subconscious personality patterns used to create authentic, emotional connections between brands and consumers. In fact, by aligning with an archetype (e.g., Hero, Sage, etc.), brands build trust, enhance connection, foster loyalty, and become instantly recognizable and relatable. Thus, the 12 archetypes of Jung, often categorized by their core desire, help define a brand’s tone, voice, and purpose. If you have a personality that prefers to communicate non-verbally, you might find fashion to be a real, powerful tool for doing so in expressing your ideas and emotions vividly, but non-verbally.
Rachael Zoe, the well-known US fashion designer and businesswoman, once said, “Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak.” This quote beautifully embodies the profound significance of fashion as a tool for self-expression without the need for words. Indeed, fashion serves as a medium through which individuals can communicate their identity, personality, values, emotions, intentions, motivations, aspirations, and beliefs without uttering a single word. In this article, we delve into the multifaceted nature of fashion as a form of non-verbal communication and explore how it allows us to express our true selves.
Fashion as a Semiotic System
From a semiotic perspective, fashion functions as a language composed of signs. Theories proposed by scholars such as Roland Barthes (1967) suggest that garments operate as signifiers that communicate socially constructed meanings. A black garment, for example, may signify mourning, elegance, rebellion, or minimalism, depending on cultural and situational context.
In this framework, fashion consists of:
- ✓ Signifiers (fabric, color, silhouette, texture)
- ✓ Signified meanings (power, vulnerability,
resistance, joy) - ✓ Cultural codes (norms that shape interpretation)
Designers, thus, deliberately manipulate these variables to transmit layered messages, while audiences decode them based on shared symbolic systems, which might have slight variations in semantic meaning from culture to culture.
Psychological Mechanisms: Enclothed Cognition and Emotional Signaling
Enclothed Cognition
The concept of enclothed cognition, introduced by researchers Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky (2012), demonstrates that clothing influences not only how others perceive us but also how we perceive ourselves. When individuals wear garments associated with competence or authority, measurable cognitive and behavioral changes occur. This can be tightly associated with our psychology and personality in choosing garments, colors, and shapes.
Thus, clothing mostly acts as:
- ✓ A self-regulatory tool.
- ✓ A confidence enhancer.
- ✓ A performance modifier.
For designers and fashion-conscious individuals, selecting or creating clothing becomes an act of emotional calibration, where their internal world finds its outward manifestation resonating with the minds and hearts of the consumers.
Fashion as Ideological Expression
Fashion has actually historically served as a medium for communicating political, social, religious, and philosophical positions. This allowed designers to express themselves freely non-verbally, and fashion addicts to do so, too, by consuming the fashion items and showing them off.
A vivid example of philosophical views displayed by a brand and experienced by the consumers is the Polish brand Medicine, which is a manifesto of independence and self-expression, consuming fashion as medicine in its own right. Original prints are the brand’s hallmark. Medicine’s clothes are created by Polish designers, in collaboration with various artists whose works can be found in their unique, limited collections. The core belief is that fashion is not self-indulgent, but instead it can really be a remedy to the soul and comfort to the body.
Resistance and Counterculture
Famous designers such as Vivienne Westwood utilized punk aesthetics to challenge institutional power structures. Torn fabrics, safety pins, and provocative graphics encoded anti-establishment sentiment into wearable form.
Similarly, collections by the eminent British fashion designer Alexander McQueen frequently dramatized themes of mortality, identity, and historical trauma. Runway presentations became theatrical discourses, blending art and social commentary.
Madonna has consistently incorporated Christian imagery, specifically crosses and crucifixes, into her performances, music videos, and fashion throughout her career, often sparking controversy with religious institutions through the exhibition of her rebellious appearances while also wearing crosses. Madonna has explained her use of these symbols as a way to challenge traditional views, explore personal religious themes, and create a dialogue, often positioning her use of the cross as a personal “taking up the cross” and overtly displaying her religion.
Another vivid example of displaying personal dispositions through fashion is Kim Kardashian, the media personality, socialite, public figure, and businesswoman, who wore a Versace gown with a huge cross on it to the Met Gala, a fundraising benefit for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, thereby non-verbally communicating her religious beliefs and truths of identity.
In these cases, fashion operates as:
- ✓ A visual manifesto.
- ✓ A critique of dominant narratives.
- ✓ A platform for truth-telling.
Very often, people wear famous designers’ artworks when they truly resonate with their internal beliefs, motivations, intentions, and aspirations. In this way, people often demonstrate their rebellious nature and stand out from the crowd.
Emotional Expression for Fashionistas
While designers construct large-scale narratives, individual wearers engage in micro-level storytelling. In saying this, we can regard the whole industry of fashion as the “macro” level, the individual designers as “meso” level and, last but not least, the individual fashionistas acting on the “micro” level. All these levels are very tightly interrelated and cooperate in unison.
Clothing as Emotional Disclosure
Fashionistas, thus, often curate outfits that externalize internal states through:
- ✓ Bold prints during periods of empowerment.
- ✓ Monochromatic dressing during introspection.
- ✓ Layered or oversized silhouettes during emotional withdrawal.
Psychologically, this aligns with symbolic interactionism: identity is performed and negotiated through visible symbols. Here, fashion addicts find their psychological refuge in their fashionable outfits and accessories, as did the world-famous and legendary German designer and photographer Karl Lagerfeld in wearing gloves and many rings to cover his – in his opinion – ugly hands. In this way, the experience and consumption of fashion becomes an indispensable part of the person’s identity, as they express themselves boldly and vividly.
Authenticity and Identity Signaling
Clothing choices signal group affiliation, moral values, personality types, and lifestyle philosophies. Sustainable fashion, for instance, communicates environmental consciousness. Gender-fluid attire may express identity autonomy and social critique.
Therefore, through these sartorial decisions, individuals transform clothing into a personal declaration of their very own truth by means of non-verbal communication of all these categories of information to their target audience and beyond.
Fashion as Collective Emotional Memory
Fashion also encodes collective emotional experiences. Post-crisis periods often produce shifts in aesthetic direction. These can be as follows:
- ✓ Economic recessions may lead to minimalism and practicality.
- ✓ Periods of optimism may generate maximalism and ornamentation.
- ✓ Emotional belonging to a religious streamline while displaying it through fashion.
- ✓ Protest aimed at regimes and structures through rebellious outfits.
These patterns demonstrate that fashion is about more than simply personal style; it reflects societal mood, political views, religious belongings, functioning as a cultural barometer, where anyone can speak up non-verbally through their chosen outfits. As Vivienne Westwood truly stated, “Fashion is the language of the people, expressing the culture without a word.” This suggests that there is no fashion without people and that these two are tightly interconnected and intertwined.
Communicating Truth Through Design Practice
As a matter of fact, designers do communicate their “truth(s)” not in an objective scientific sense, but in an experiential, rebellious, and philosophical one. Truth in fashion may thus involve:
- ✓ Revealing hidden labor conditions through raw construction aesthetics
- ✓ Challenging beauty standards via diverse representation
- ✓ Addressing environmental realities through recycled materials
For instance, in the Victoria’s Secret 2024 and 2025 fashion shows, we all witnessed a drastic shift in displayed and encouraged “truth” in terms of supporting cultural and racial diversity, as well as fighting body-shaming and celebrating beauty in all its forms.
Fashion thus becomes embodied emotional discourse, where both the sender and recipient are in tight non-verbal communication with one another, even if separated from each other in time and space. As a result, instead of writing essays as writers do when sharing their thoughts and feelings, designers construct their arguments in fabric and form, which then in turn are decoded by fashion lovers and beyond.
Neuroaesthetic Dimensions in Fashion
Neuroscientific research on aesthetic perception indicates that visually compelling designs activate reward pathways in the brain. Symmetry, contrast, colors, and novelty stimulate emotional engagement in users and admirers. In fact, our chosen colors, shapes, and artifacts have the greatest potential to influence our moods and internal states of mind. Thus, fashion, psychology, and neuroscience are very tightly interrelated. Consequently, fashion designers operate at the intersection of creativity and cognitive science, shaping experiences that resonate emotionally and intellectually.
Fashion thus becomes embodied emotional discourse, where both the sender and recipient are in tight non-verbal communication with one another.
A vivid example of neuroaesthetics in fashion is the eyewear brand Eigengrau, a Berlin-based company (founded in 2022) that positions itself at the intersection of psychology, science, and fashion. Eigengrau, meaning “intrinsic gray” in German, is the dark, subjective color perceived when eyes are closed or in absolute darkness, stemming from internal, low-level neuronal firing in the retina. Philosophically, it represents a liminal state between perception and absence, highlighting that our experience of reality is actively constructed by the mind, not just a passive reception of external light. The brand’s philosophy is built around using the concept of “intrinsic gray” as a metaphor for personal perception, consciousness, and the power to shape one’s own reality. So its lenses are chosen with great care and with affirmations on the frames of the eyeglasses that can help elevate your mood.
Conclusion
To sum up, fashion is not merely decorative or aesthetic; it is a scientifically observable system of non-verbal communication grounded in semiotics, psychology, and sociology. Through color, structure, texture, shape, and symbolism, designers articulate their emotions and feelings, as well as communicate social truths.
Let us finish with the quote from Yves Saint Laurent, who stated that “Fashion fades, style is eternal.” This quote highlights his belief in creating timeless, empowering fashion over fleeting trends. Thus, while interacting with fashion, we should develop our own style while also non-verbally communicating our truths to the world.
