Dopamine Dressing - Embracing Colour

Everybody from Pinterest to Vogue to major fashion retailers is not only noticing the surge in demand for bright, ‘happy’ hues but predicting that this trend is far more than just that. Like it or not, dopamine dressing is here to stay. So, what is it exactly, does it actually boost your mood and how do you incorporate it into your footwear? Here’s our take on things.

As the name suggests, Dopamine Dressing is the practice of consciously choosing clothes that will boost your mood. This is generally taken to refer specifically to dressing in bright and vibrant colours. Pinterest, one of the leading platforms when it comes to identifying digital trends, has noticed a spike in searches relating to fuchsia, electric blue, vibrant and rainbow outfits. Understandable, considering the pretty drab couple of years we’ve all had.

So, what’s the psychology behind it and does the premise that dressing in brighter colours boosts your mood actually hold? Short answer- it does, but not in the way you might think.

Colours don’t have inherent meaning; it’s all about the meaning we attribute to them. However, these interpretations are not universal and will depend on your cultural background, as well as your own personal experiences. So, really, it’s more about wearing colours that have symbolic value to you on a personal level (you know, colours you vibe with). To get a little technical, the way it works according to the theory of ‘enclothed cognition’ is that the associations we have with items of clothing are powerful to the point of changing the way we feel and behave when wearing them. So, if you associate a pink sweater with joy or positivity, you’re likely to embody those emotions when wearing the sweater.

Now that we’ve established that what you wear does, in fact, impact the way you feel and act, we know that bright colours aren’t necessarily the answer to our blues. BUT, if you’re like many of us and are finding these colours uplifting, then something tells us you’ll be fully embracing dopamine dressing this summer. Below, we’ve hunted down our favourite shoes for you to get that dopamine flowing right now. Happy shopping!