Sending messages on social media that equate objects like clothes with mental health can be harmful when people are dealing with deeper mental health issues. Clothing can help us feel empowered and authentic, but it can't give us mental wellness.

In the fashion industry, people that don't fit the thin, young, white, eurocentric image are marginalized with less opportunity to communicate identity and feel empowered. This can harm people's self-esteem when measured against the norms of society.

When we meet someone new, it takes under a second for us to construct our first impression based on how they look.

If we like the way someone looks, we may think of them as successful, pleasant, and intelligent without knowing anything more about them. From there, ...