It’s Friday evening, the weekend is officially underway and Amy Chessir is putting on her favorite pair of leggings and a flowing empire waist dress to ready herself for a night out.

When the weekend comes, Chessir, Columbia, Mo., freshman, pulls out her favorite clothes to make an impression over the thumping music and chatter of patrons at local establishments.

After a long week of classes and cotton sweatpants she’s eager to slip into something a little bit flashier for dinner and drinks out. After all, you are what you wear, because a good night can depend on the clothes (or lack thereof) on your back. When its time to dress to impress, an outfit can change you personality from the inside out.

Clothing can have an effect on someone’s entire outlook; it’s even significant enough to affect self-image. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends people dress in clothes that make them feel good about themselves as a way to boost self-esteem.

Likewise, what people wear can be a reflection of who they are, says Diana Pemberton-Sikes, an image consultant and owner of fashionforrealwomen.com.

“What you wear and how you wear it reveals so much about you, it’s incredible,” Pemberton-Sikes says. “From education level and religious affiliations to dating availability and probable income level, it’s all revealed in what you wear.”

From flashy jewelry and dresses to designer jeans and polo shirts, after a long week of classes and work uniforms, the chance to dress up for a night out can be a good change of pace for college students.

“I always dress super casually to class, and it makes me feel like I really don’t care what I look like,” Chessir says. “Dressing up makes me feel a lot cleaner, less lazy and I have tons more confidence. I’m definitely more outgoing when I’m dressed up.”

Randi McGovern, manager at Britches Clothing Co., 843 Massachusetts St., says her store stocks embellished jeans, brightly colored dresses and big, flashy jewelry to help students dress to impress.

Chessir says flashiness and wearability are a few of the things she looks for in outfits for going out. She thinks these outfits make the biggest and brightest statement about herself in a crowded room of other dressed-up people.

Like Chessir, Julia Castellucci, Chanute senior, enjoys dressing up to get noticed at night. Style is an important factor in noticing and meeting someone when she’s out, she says.

“When I see a guy with a hot style that I can see my own personality reflected in a little, I feel so much more comfortable trying to chat with him than someone whose style I don’t find particularly pleasing to my eye,” she says.

Whether dressing to meet a new date or to have fun with friends, flash and a hot style all contribute to getting noticed and feeling good. But Pemberton-Sikes cautions to pay attention to the social situation to project the best possible image.

“Because clothes reveal so much about you, wearing certain styles in certain situations can help or hinder your goals, depending on what they are,” she says. “Low-cut tops and short skirts may help you attract a lot of attention at a night club, but they won’t score you any points at work or for an interview — unless you’re working at Hooters.”

Whatever the goal, feeling good in the right clothes at the right time seems to be the first step to make the night memorable.