According to the American Psychological Association (APA), psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. Psychology is a diverse scientific discipline comprising of several major branches of research, as well as several subareas of research and applied psychology. Research in psychology involves observation, experimentation, testing, and analysis to explore the biological, cognitive, emotional, personal, and social processes or stimuli underlying human (and animal) behaviour. The practice of psychology involves the use of psychological knowledge for any of several purposes: to understand and treat mental, emotional, physical, and social dysfunction; to understand and enhance behaviour in various settings of human activity; and to improve machine and building design for human use.

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Fashion, on the other hand, is defined as the styles of artistic and cultural expression, garments, manners, and customs prevalent in a particular time and place. Fashion may be transient and irrational but often reflects the Zeitgeist or mood of society.

It can be suggested that fashion psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour in relation of all things fashion, e.g., fashion marketing and advertising, brand identity, consumer behaviour, styling, product design, retail, store design, management, fashion forecasting and trends analysis, public relations, sustainability and ethics, technology, fashion throughout history, customer service, pop culture and fashion trends, environmental degradation, labour practices, visual merchandising, and body image.

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Psychological knowledge can provide valuable insights into the fashion industry. These insights can foster more ethical businesses, improve employee satisfaction and wellbeing, explore the psychological impact of clothing, and increase accessibility.