How Dopamine Dressing will wipe out your winter blues
It really is not an easy year that has passed us by. Many feel the Corona fatigue weighing especially heavily on their shoulders this Christmas. All the more creative are the solutions to battle this state of mind. Anyone who has followed the development of fashion on the catwalks of the world over the last few months will have noticed that a certain optimism has spread there. A spirit of new beginnings? This feeling is obviously reflected in the collections of many designers of the past year. They placed special emphasis on bright colours and funky cuts as important components of their collections.
Is it perhaps not just another fashion trend, but an answer to our desire for light-heartedness and an attempt to convey hope through bright colours? The idea of the connection between colourful clothing and improving one's state of mind has actually been the subject of psychological research for a long time. The concept is called "dopamine dressing" for short. But can the colours we wear really have an impact on our mood? And is colour choice really something we should consciously consider when we get dressed in the morning? To understand this phenomenon, it is first significant to understand how dopamine works in our bodies.
What is the neurological process of dopamine release in our brain?
Together with serotonin, dopamine is one of our "happiness hormones". It is an important chemical that is produced in the brain. It acts as a messenger between the nerve cells that make up our brain and has a significant impact on our mood, our ability to pay attention and our willingness to perform. In short, if you have low levels of dopamine, you feel low. However, if high levels of dopamine are flitting between your neurons, you feel dazzling.
When dopamine is released in large amounts, it leads to feelings of happiness or well-being in the body. This feeling motivates us to repeat those actions that were responsible for that feeling. The neurotransmitter can also be increased by, among other things, sufficient sleep, plenty of exercise, one's favourite music, sunlight, human contact and a rich protein intake. But what if we could also positively influence our mood through our choice of outfits?
Today I dress for happiness!
The term "dopamine dressing" was brought to life by fashion psychologist Dr. Dawnn Karen within her research based on it. In her research, she found that consciously choosing our clothes can actually have a positive impact on our mood. "Research as posited that brighter colors can elicit positive emotions. Though within the fashion psychology field I have defined it as the study and treatment of how color, image, beauty, style.," explains Dr. Karen. "It affects the human behavior while addressing cultural norms and cultural sensitivities. It is important to note the cultural aspect as color may mean something different psychologically depending on the culture of the individual."
So could this be part of the reason why last season's catwalks were dazzling in bright and garish colours? We really needed a colourful pick-me-up after two years now. "Brighter colors can not only offer a mood lifter but a much needed escape from the negative emotions associated with the pandemic, such as fear, panic, anxiety and stress.," explains Dr Karen.
Which colours ultimately make you feel good is very individual
Dopamine dressing is not necessarily about wrapping yourself in certain bright colours that alone make you happy. In colour psychology, there are indeed strong correlations between colour tones and moods, but what feels good to one person does not necessarily mean the same thing to another. We all have different associations with individual colours due to our own personal life experience and our individual mental state. That's why everyone has an absolutely individual style of dress - because we meet different emotional needs with it.
For example, colour psychology tells us that shades of yellow, orange and citrus give us optimism, but these tones can be off-putting to someone with a more introverted personality. Pastel shades are supposed to make us happy, but for a bold, authoritarian personality, they come across as far too sweet.
The happier we are with our outfit, the happier we are with our day?
Dopamine dressing is nothing new in itself, of course. It is simply a natural by-product of one's sense of style and dressing in a way that suits oneself. You know the saying, "I'm nicer when I like my outfit"? Dopamine dressing assumes, that what we wear has an impact on how we feel and how we are perceived. This in turn can increase our self-confidence and well-being. So basically it's about learning to style yourself from the inside out. Ultimately, it's only a fashion phenomenon to a small extent and mindfulness for the most part.
But of course these feelings are purely subjective. Ultimately, dopamine dressing means wearing what makes you feel good and glow from within! Why not try it out on New Year's Eve? With a blast of positive feelings, you'll start the new year happy right away!
