Dopamine Dressing: A fashion trend to boost your mood

Move over florals, there’s a new springtime trend gaining momentum in the fashion world, called “Dopamine Dressing.” It’s all about bold, excessive, and bright maximalism.

Amy Sperber, assistant professor of fashion design at New York’s Fashion Instute of Technology, says we’re just at the beginning of a bell curve which is seeing people stray from neutrals, and embrace a wilder, funkier, more colourful wardrobe.

“It’s almost like wearing everything at once. It’s everything that brings you joy. It’s that cardigan sweater, that bralette, that button down shirt, that tutu with a belt on top, and a fabulous handbag, top it with a winter coat, some bright tights, your favourite shoe… I really believe it is dressing to bring the wearer joy.”

Sperber says love it or hate it, dramatic colours on the runway are always going to make a statement.

“It is why it’s not called a neutral. Neutral would be nothing, where brights, patterns, all of that give us some kind of reaction, good or bad.”

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Registered Psychologist Dr.Valerie Caldeira agrees, saying there’s research suggesting the colours green and blue colours are calming while reds, orange, and yellows elevate your mood.

“But really, if you hate the colour yellow, and you feel it looks awful on you, you’re probably not going to feel confident and happy wearing yellow for example,” she said.

Sperber says this renaissance of bright, maximalist styles may be a direct reaction to the pandemic lifestyle we’ve been forced into the past two years.

“Early on in the pandemic, the collections that people were doing were more subdued. Then, as we kind of felt a hopefulness of coming out of that situation, that hopefulness translated into bright patterns, to bright colour, to pattern-clashing. So I think we are definitely in a rise of those hopeful and happy visuals.”

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At the start of COVID, many people embraced the work-from-home lifestyle, choosing leggings and sweats.

“It’s quite easy to roll out of bed and in your pajamas start the workday — that’s going to make us feel more sluggish and tired compared to if we do start our day and change into a fresh set of clothing,” Caldeira said.

“It’s about what we’re feeling comfortable in. So, during the pandemic, a lot more people have been wearing leggings and sweats.”

The “Zoomification” of the last two years also appears to have had an effect on people’s wardrobe choices.

“We’ve been dressing for 50 per cent — for the screen, so it’s only half,” Sperber explained. “So I do think it is a response when somebody wants to fully embrace feeling good head to toe. From the sneaker to the hat … I do feel like it’s a response to what we’ve been through, but also, clothes affect us. There’s a psychology in dress, and a lot of people are ready to be happy again.”

Now, as the world is starting to open up in many places, trends are heading into a bold new direction. Sperber says big cultural changes do affect the collections that designers are coming out with, as well as the fashion choices people make for themselves day-to-day.

“Fashion is on the timeline just like politics and culture, and I believe we have spent two years kind of locked away — which comfort dressing makes sense for that experience that we were having as a society, and now we are emerging — not unlike a butterfly — from a cocoon. And people are bringing joy to themselves in wearing bright colours, patterns. I think we do it to give ourselves serotonin or dopamine; to bring some joy,” says Sperber.

“Clearly there was probably a longing for colour and pattern, after just we kind of all settled in, and tucked in, so as creatives we respond to that,” she said.

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People also attach certain traits to different clothing. Caldeira notes a study found people wearing white lab coats, which are typically associated with care and attentiveness performed better on a test of their attention compared to people who weren’t wearing the coats.

As trends rise and fall, Caldeira adds it’s important to feel “happy and proud in what you’re wearing, that’s going to lift the mood,” adding “Many people wanting to dress up in fancier clothes, and maybe go out more, to restaurants, and clubs, and bars, and get all dolled up, absolutely — But there are going to still be people that are going to continue wearing their leggings and sweats, and that’s fine too, provided that they’re feeling comfortable and happy in those clothes.”

On the fashion front, Sperber says whenever there is any sort of cultural climate pushing fashion to lean in one specific direction like the pandemic has, “there’s always rebellion.”

“There’s also going to be a subset of people that are being rebellious with dress,” she said.

However, she believes we’re now in an era about “individualization.”