Self-expression The way the dreamer thinks the wearer wants to portray themselves to others How the dreamer thinks the wearer is trying to control others’—or even their own—image of themselves (such as kids wanting to dress older to try to get people to believe they are older) A role the person plays (as in a uniform)—or would like to play (as in little girls playing dress-up like princesses) Protection—especially self-protection of boundaries, as in protecting oneself from being taken advantage of or judged (for example, cold-weather clothing representing an attempt to protect oneself from hatred, bad will, etc. in real life A characteristic associated with the type of clothing, such as culture, age group, or personality type Clothing can also convey the setting of the dream—such as warm-weather clothes representing something that happened last summer, or high-fashion clothing representing Paris, or saddle-shoes representing the 1950s. Your subconscious mind might also use clothing to establish the mood or timeline of a dream.