Dream Symbols: New Clothes

How do you think other people see you?

Just as dreams of being naked can represent how we feel we are being revealed, or showing our true self in public, dreams specifically about the clothes we are wearing can represent the public face or “costume” we choose to show the world.

If you dream of buying new clothes or changing your wardrobe, have a look at your life and see where you may be playing a new role, or where you might be taking on new responsibilities.  The clothes we wear are often an outer reflection of who we are inside, but the one we have some control over.  It can be the “image” or perception of outer self.  It is often how we want people to see us.  If we dream of changing clothes, or some kind of new clothes, it can be a reflection of how we are changing the way we see our-self, and consequently how others see us.  It can mean, quite literally, that we are “getting changed.”

To understand this dream better, it can help to examine your feelings.  Are you happy about the way you look, enjoying some wonderful new outfit, feeling glamorous or beautiful?  This can be a lovely indication of healing, growth or an improved sense of self worth.  Are you wearing clothes that you wore in your past?  This can be a sign that you are getting in touch with some aspect of your personality that you had in the past but maybe let slip, and which could be useful to you now.  Are your clothes itchy, or uncomfortable?  This might mean the role you are playing in life at the moment doesn’t “suit” you, and maybe you need to discard those clothes (and the role you are playing in life) in place of new ones.  Or perhaps the clothes are ill-fitting.  This may indicate if they are too large, the role you have taken on you need to grow into, and to have patience.  Or if the clothes are too small, maybe it is time to consider that you have outgrown some belief or behaviour in your life and are ready to move on from something that constricts you.  If you feel the clothes don’t belong to you, consider how you may be acting a certain way in life just to please somebody else, not being true to who you really are.

Look at the fabric of the clothes for hints as to what this dream may be referring to.  Are they harsh, soft, bright, dull, etc?  Is the style of the clothes conservative, formal, messy, wild etc?  This can indicate how you think other people see you.  Remember, this does not mean other people actually do see you that way, but rather what you think they do.  You can change that when you wish. 

How do you change in front of others?

Further clues can be gained from the body part the clothes relate to.  A hat can be something to do with your mind, how you think about things, it can about your head and your goals, your rational side and so on.  Shoes may be about the freedom to walk, the grace dance or high heels may make you feel elevated in someone’s opinion.  Of course, only you can decipher all the details to put together a complete picture.

But also look for puns.  Have you received a “dressing down” recently, and feel a bit upset by it?  Do you have to “address” a large audience?  Do you feel someone is ripping you off and would “steal the shirt from your back?”  Do you need to “tighten your belt” and stop spending so much?  All these things can pop up in dreams.

Unlike the naked self revealed uncomfortably, dreams of clothes may speak of what we chose to cover, what we chose to reveal, and how we decorate ourselves for the benefit of others, and thereby can be an indicator of confidence.  Dreams of clothes can give us advice to help us feel more comfortable in public, and also help us to understand how we change our-selves to fit in with the company we are with.  They invite us to make sure we are happy with how we present ourselves to the world.