Colour brave hearts

When COVID19 restrictions eased off fashion and lifestyle company NetaPorterrsquos senior market editor Libby Page noticed a drastic change in the surging customer demand for more optimistic fashion which included bright colourful clothes and playful prints This new trend is now being described as dopamine dressing Dopamine is a type of neurotransmitter also known as the ldquofeelgoodrdquo hormone and thatrsquos exactly what this trend is meant to make people feelDutch model Doutzen Kroes at the 2019 Met Gala wore a dress by Giambattista Valli Haute Couture right English singersongwriter Charli XCX at the 2019 Met Gala wore a dress designed by Jean Paul Gaultier PicsGetty ImagesFashion content creator Mansi Pandey 21 says she expresses herself through clothes ldquoI wear clothes depending on my mood So the colours reflect what I am feeling That gives me a sense of personalityrdquo During the pandemic she started experimenting with more than one colour and most of these were bold choices She slowly became more confident in her style ldquoEventually I found colours that complimented my skinrdquoPurvi Shah psychologistThis was also the case with Chahat Saraogi a 21yearold fashion stylist style educator and fashion design student from Pearl Academy ldquoFashion and clothes definitely help lift my mood Whenever I felt low or when I was not feeling myself Irsquod dress up in my favourite aestheticrdquo Saraogi says she initially hopped onto this trend to experiment but soon realised it wasnrsquot just a trend anymore because it had become her personal style as wellWearing black is dopamine dressing for Charu Gaur because thatrsquos what she feels happiest inAnother reason why both Pandey and Saraogi say they were inclined towards bold colour choices for their outfits is because it made them stand out in a crowd ldquoEveryone is teaching you how to style a white shirt but wearing something colourful is considered to be dangerous It gives you an adrenaline rush and the challenge of styling something colourful and making it work is something elserdquo shares Pandey In fact Pandey now ensures that every outfit she wears has a pop of colour even if itrsquos just her makeupFashion content creator Mansi Pandey says she wears clothes depending on her moodCharu Gaur founder and editor of digital fashion magazine Runway Square feels that Indians have always been ldquodopamine dressersrdquo ldquoWe donrsquot need people to tell us Indians to wear colourful clothes we have been doing it all our livesrdquo Gaur however describes it as a very personal trend ldquoIt is a mix between something that is comfortable but also makes me feel like I am slightly dressed uprdquo she says adding that for her wearing black would be dopamine dressing because thatrsquos what makes her happy Gaur has noticed that post lockdown people feel like they can wear whatever they want ldquoDopamine dressing is not restricted to colourful clothing and colour blockingrdquo she says ldquoFor me it can be anything to which a memory is attachedrdquoFashion stylist and style educator Chahat Saraogi says she initially hopped onto the trend to experiment but soon realised ldquoit had become her personal style as wellrdquoExamining why this trend has picked up Purvi Shah psychologist and founder of counselling service I Purvi Shah says ldquoFrom childhood wersquove been taught to link colours with thoughts emotions and behaviourrdquo She says these factors often work in a loop ldquoThe moment you get a thought it provokes a certain kind of emotion and that emotion provokes a certain type of behaviour You associate the same kind of feeling every time you wear a particular piece of clothingrdquoDopamine dressing also introduced a trend called kid core which is plastic jewellery made out of beads a style often associated with children Gaur feels that ldquosometimes these trends tend to be a little textbookishrdquo ldquoI donrsquot support anything thatrsquos plastic eventually itrsquos just another thing that people are going to wear for a few months and throw awayrdquo Gaur supports dopamine dressing only when itrsquos more about being mindful She urges people to look into their wardrobe and only shop if they actually want something ldquoFind your own happiness while dressing up and think about how yoursquore feeling in that moment and what clothes can do for you Donrsquot overdo it Find your own dopaminerdquo