Elevate your mood and spread cheer with a quick fix of dopamine dressing

Mona

pen your wardrobe and look for clothes that spark joy. Yes, what Marie Kondo’s Magic of Tidying Up has done for home; dopamine dressing is doing for the world of fashion in 2022. Dress to boost your mood by choosing particular colours, textures and styles!

Bright and warm colours, favourite fabrics and styles that suit—dopamine dressing is basically all about being happy. “We pay so much attention to colour when it comes to interiors of our living and work spaces, knowing that will impact how we feel. The clothes we live in are the environment we create for ourselves. The colours, textures and stories impact how we feel when we see ourselves in the mirror,” says Shivangini Parihar, founder, The Summer House.

Colour code

Lately, the connection between our outfits and state of mind is receiving renewed attention. “It’s long been understood that we can have psychological connection to certain colours. But there is more to this trend than just bright patterns and fabrics,” says designer Sarab Khanijou.

“What we wear affects how we feel, so much so that it can distort and determine our thoughts and judgements,” says psychologist Karen Pine in her book, Mind What You Wear: The Psychology of Fashion. Researchers refer to it as ‘enclothed cognition’. “Whether you’re going for a colourful, sensual or simply comfortable look, it’s all about wearing what makes you feel good,” says Sarab. Dopamine dressing is rather dependent on more personal elements than universal because happiness is subjective. “The colour black is soothing for some, or one might have emotional inclination for a scarf or leather jackets,” explains Sarab.

Coming to dressing up according to this trend, well, of course, there is the universal acceptance that bright hues reflect bright moods and Sarab’s summer collection delivers the same. “A Tuxedo resonates with exuberance and our intention while reimagining this classic style is to stretch the smile further! As a creator, I’d like to believe I am ‘dopamine dress-making’ and that the wearer is half way into happiness when he chooses to don our humble, spirited creations,” says Sarab.

Comfort factor

Actor-director Jonita Doda’s dopamine dressing is all about comfort. Her dopamine fix are black, shades of pink followed by reds and blues. “I like to wear soft fabrics and regular fits,” says Jonita, who loves to experiment with new styles. “It is very important to understand your body and wear what suits you, and gives you that adrenaline rush,” she adds.

“I have been following dopamine dressing since the time I didn’t even know what it was all about,” admits actor Prachi Tehlan. “I love bright colours—yellow, orange, green, lilac.” Indian-wear, especially sarees, is an instant mood-booster for this Diya Aur Baati Hum actor. Model and actor Renu Kaushal’s mantra is rather simple—dress according to the weather. Pastels for day look and dark colours for night. “Styles and the cuts of the attire that amplify my figure give me a high,” says Renu.

Dressing out of the comfort zone is singer Ayaana Khan’s tested trick. “Experimenting with styles lightens your mood.” She banks on solid colours to stand out in a crowd. “Wearing traditional dresses evokes the nostalgia of 80s and 90s movies. A red saree does the trick for me.”

If canary yellow, Kelly green or hot pink is sweeping the fashion world to boost your mood, the good thing is that you can have your own fix and play it by your rules!

The Happy feel

Dopamine is also called the happy hormone. Dopamine dressing is basically dressing in a certain way to boost good mood. “Not only because its trending, dopamine dressing is an absolute necessity of the times, especially after the rough and chaotic two years that we have had,” says designer Kunal Anil Tanna. It’s important to understand what makes you happy to embrace the trend. “It could be a colour, a silhouette or a texture...One sure way to elevate your style and mood is to accessorise—may be hint of bling or a texture that reminds you of something comforting like a scarf from mum’s wardrobe or a drape from a past happy memory,” says the designer.