A Woman’s Outfit: 35% Weather, 14% Plans for the Day and 7% Mood

A woman's choice of outfit is influenced 35% by the weather, 14% by her plans for the day and 7% by her mood, a study has revealed. Researchers found that as many as 11 different factors play a part in what women decide to wear when they leave the house in the mornings, including their confidence, how well they feel and what day of the week it is.

Even hairstyles are dictated primarily by the weather (18%), with when it was last washed (15%) and the time available in the morning (11%) also playing a key part.

The study was commissioned by Toni&Guy, which is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, to coincide with the recent shows of next season's fashions and trends.

It also emerged that more than half of the women polled reckon others could guess their mood, plans for the day or even how well they feel simply by looking at their outfit and overall appearance.

Sacha Mascolo-Tarbuck, Global Creative Director at Toni&Guy, said:

''For most people, getting dressed in the mornings is not just a case of chucking any old clothing on.

''There are actually several different factors that need to be considered when choosing an outfit or hairstyle for the day ahead.

''It might not be a surprise to learn weather is the biggest influence when deciding what look to go for in the mornings.

''Even at the height of summer, we usually have to look out the window or check the forecast before choosing an appropriate outfit.

''But as well as the day's agenda, it also seems that women tend to dress according to their mood or how well they feel, with many making more effort with their appearance when they are happy."

The study of 2,000 women found that the average woman will consider three different factors when deciding what to wear each morning, with the weather accounting for 35% of the decision.

Temperature is 26% of the choice, while 14% is down to the day's agenda, including whether they are going out after work and if they have any meetings.

Mood accounts for 7%, the occasion 6%, while how they feel and how they slept making up 4% of the decision.

Other factors that are taken into consideration include their general personality, confidence and what day of the week it is.

It also emerged that more than seven in ten women reckon they are more likely to put effort into their appearance when the weather is nice.

But 72% of women also admitted they usually end up chucking on the first thing they grab on mornings when they feel under the weather or haven't slept well the night before.

When it comes to a woman's hairstyle, weather is still the main consideration for how they wear it, followed by how long it has been since they washed it and how much time they have in the mornings.

Their mood, plans for the day and whether they can be bothered to curl or straighten it also factor in the decision.

The study also found that 63% of women even put thought into the colour of clothes they wear, with red being the most common colour to wear when they are feeling happy and black being most common on a bad day.

Black is also the colour of choice on days when they feel unwell or lacking in confidence, it's cold or wet outside, they had a bad night's sleep or they have an important meeting at work.

Black is the colour of choice for a big meeting

On sunny days or when they want to show off a tan, white outfits are the most popular hue to wear, while red clothes are pulled out on days when women feel their most confident.

What goes into deciding an outfit:

Weather 35%
Temperature 26%
The day's agenda 14%
Your mood 7%
The occasion 6%
How you feel/tiredness 4%
Personality 3%
Your confidence levels 2%
What day it is 1%
Time you have in the mornings 1%
If your boss/manager is in 1%

Most popular colours to wear on a sunny day: White
Most popular colours to wear on a cold day: Black
Most popular colours to wear when you are happy: Red
Most popular colour to wear when you feel down: Black
When you are unwell: Black
After a good night's sleep: Blue
After a bad night's sleep: Black
For an important meeting at work: Black
When you are going out after work: Black
On a Monday: Black
On a Friday: Black
When you are feeling confident: Red
When you aren't feeling confident: Black
When you have a tan: White