Your Cycle Could Be Determining What You Wore Today

So, we all know how to tell when we're PMS-ing. (Ahem...mood swings, sweatpants, and did we mention chocolate?) But now, new research tells us the classic warning signs for ovulation. That's right, turns out there are actually tried-and-true behaviors that indicate other parts of your cycle. According to a study published in Psychological Science, we womenfolk exhibit different behavior during the third week of our cycles, and it all comes down to subconsciously increasing our odds of conception. In short, we're trying to enhance our attractiveness, all without realizing it.

So what does this look like, you ask? No, you're not going to visit your colorist in your sleep or inadvertently winding up at SoulCycle instead of the wine bar. Instead, the study found that women who are ovulating tend to choose more fashionable outfits than women who are at other stages of the cycle, as well as subconsciously adjust things like voice pitch and posture. Plus, we also tend to dress ourselves in more overtly sexual colors — think reds and pinks. There's even research proving that men tend to be more attracted to ladies who don these hues.

Now, this could all be a matter of the chicken and the egg. It's possible that most designers simply make more stylish clothes that happen to be in shades of red or pink, and that we're simply choosing those colors by default when we reach for our fashionable duds. But as those of us who love our black-on-black-on-black know, that's not always the case. And, of course, we ladies on birth control (and thus not experiencing a normal cycle) are basically throwing this whole study out of whack. But just for fun, we're going to pay closer attention the next time we're trying to throw together an outfit. (The Psychology of Human Sexuality)