Apoorva Mehta
With a variety of new trends in Fashion, we have a new one: Dopamine Dressing.
What is Dopamine aka feel good dressing? Well to put it very simply its a symphony of colors and patterns which instantly make you feel good. But what is so trending about it?
Before we get into understanding this concept, it is first important to know the basics of dopamine, which is a type of neurotransmitter.
Dopamine is a chemic which is known to release happy hormones, making us feel joy, pleasure, reward etc. It has many functions: it is involved in reward, motivation, memory, and attention. When dopamine is released in large amounts, it creates feelings of pleasure and reward which motivates us to repeat a specific behaviour.
If you are an avid social media user, you must have come across this term. Fashion psychologist Dr Dawnn Karen coined this term in a book she wrote titled ‘Dress Your Best Life’, Dopamine Dressing means wearing outfits in a way that releases a rush of happy hormones. Dopamine is one of the feel-good neurotransmitters, hence the term. How you dress up actually reflects a lot about your personality, inter related with color psychology. As per color psychology someone who likes and wears yellow a lot is considered to be a highly positive person, similarly if someone likes dark shades like black, they are considered to represent some pain or stoicness. As per a psychologist based in Mumbai, if you are feeling sad, wearing vibrant hues and brighter clothes will cheer you up as you begin to view yourself in such a light.
Dopamine Dressing on Runway and IRL
In this year, we have seen a lot of celebs rocking bright color outfits, for instance: Taylor Swift rocked a beautiful shade of green at the Golden Globes.
For a success party of Animal, Alia Bhatt was see wearing stunning in the opulent blue gown in Mumbai. The color instantly brings you positivity and joy.
On designer runways, bright colors like eclectic blue, shocking pink and flamingo pink, Vouge called it “Color Me Free.” If you also check, Pinterest stats say, there is a 16 times increase in the searches for bright color outfits and vibrant outfits.
Scientific Correlation: Bright colors & Dopamine Rush
“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions,” the artist Pablo Picasso once remarked.
Color is a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and even influence physiological reactions. Certain colors have been associated with physiological changes, including increased blood pressure, increased metabolism, and eyestrain.
Red color instantly brings energy and blue hues make you feel calm and relaxed. Colors in the red area of the color spectrum are known as warm colors and include red, orange, and yellow. These warm colors evoke emotions ranging from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hostility. Colors on the blue side of the spectrum are known as cool colors and include blue, purple, and green. These colors are often described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indifference.
Wearing black color instantly demands others to take you seriously and be intimidating, whereas white color reflects perfection, simplicity and freshness, Hence, Lawyers have a black and white dress code to bring out the balance.
Dopamine dressing has a personal, more than universal, association. Someone like me would consider yellow color to bring me instant confidence but for someone like you red might give you a boost. It was found that people wearing black outfits have a greater influence on a group as they appear more authoritative and commanding. If your end goal is to feel confident and powerful when wearing black, then feelings of joy will surely follow. However, it is important to stress that it is all about your personal associations
But the year of 2024 has seen the most vibrant shades possible. Formal clothing has also included colors like red and peach fuzz (latest add in pantone) and for a lot of people it is a lifestyle! Try this small activity some day, pick out vibrant colors like red, pink, green and then pick out dark shades like black and dark blue. Wear each piece of clothing and see what color makes you feel the most confident.
