The rules on DOPAMINE DRESSING
A cheery pop of colour might be the trick to boosting your wellbeing
Have you ever noticed certain clothes just seem to make you feel better? It might be an emerald green top that can’t help but put a spring in your step. Or that black tailored blazer that makes you feel more confident and in charge.
Welcome to the world of dopamine dressing. It’s based around the idea that looking at certain colours can release the feel-good hormone dopamine. And at a time when many of us are ready to re-embrace the world afresh, it’s little wonder it’s one of the hottest trends of 2021.
“Dopamine dressing is based on the idea that strutting out in the right colour will enhance your affect, cognition and behaviour,” neuropsychotherapist Joanne Wilson explains.
“Dopamine fuels your wanting system to take action and is particularly sensitive to any cues that pleasure is coming. This could be the rustling of a lolly wrapper or the ping of a message notification.”
But can colour really trigger dopamine? Well, sort of. “As it turns out, it’s more about your interpretation and the meaning attached to certain colours that make you feel incredulous, powerful and exuberant, versus the colour itself,” explains Wilson.
So, while a sunny colour like tangerine might theoretically boost your mood, it all depends on personal preference. “If you attach a bad memory or instinctively dislike it, it’s unlikely to translate to an improved mood.”
Here, Wilson provides the ultimate guide to brightening your day with dopamine dressing …