As the weather turns grey, Bengalureans are opting to dress in loud colours in an attempt to brighten up their mood. This trend has come to be known as 'dopamine dressing'. The reason?
Certain colours, outfits or textures could make you happy by inducing the feel - good hormone, dopamine. Model and actor, Karishma Devnani believes that wearing bright colours during her workout makes her day exciting.
"Bright colours lighten my mood when I want my spirits to be high. Keep your work culture in mind when choosing these colours. If you want to dress like Ranveer Singh though, go all out, anytime," she suggests.
According to the actor, several fast-fashion brands like H&M and Zara, have come out with dopamine dressing-inspired lines that include bright colours, leopard prints, and polka dots. "No other skin tone carries brightly coloured clothes as Indian or darker skin tones," she adds.
Dancer Yahvi Chavan agrees that skin tone has nothing to do with the kind of clothes one wears. "It all comes down to personal style. However, colours such as black, white, olive, purple, and orange, have been scientifically proven to look good on Indian skin tones. Fast-fashion brands have been putting out a lot of clothes in shades of pink and yellow. Brands need to come out with unconventionally coloured pants, rather than the usual black or navy," feels the dancer.
"My casual wear includes colours like green and orange to enhance my mood. I also prefer baggy outfits - boyfriend jeans and big t-shirts since feeling comfortable in what you wear also affects your mood," Chavan says.
For stylist , designer and model Anugrah Samuel Phillips, dopamine dressing holds a different definition. It is anything that makes you happy while also making a statement, Phillips says, adding, "Colours don’t necessarily have to do anything with the weather. If you wear black on a cloudy day, you;d still feel happy."
Phillips goes on to add, "When you smile, your brain registers happiness. It is the same with clothes. The kind of memory you have with a particular dress matters. A dress that is linked with a happy memory could make you happy, while an outfit you wore during a sad moment could bring back the sorrow."
For city-based designer and fashion trainer Neema Kumar, the key is dressing according to the occasion. "The choice of colour affects one’s attitude, personality, and confidence. Colours, outfits, and textures should be chosen based on the gathering you are going to. I prefer deeper colours for the evenings. It’s nice to see people experimenting," Kumar says.