Dopamine dressing is the practice of wearing clothing to improve your mood. It involves choosing colors, textures, and styles that make you feel good.
The term dopamine dressing is often mentioned alongside the neurodivergent community. This is generally due to it coming alongside the process of ‘unmasking’ – the process of conscious stopping trying to appear ‘normal’ and, instead, presenting as your authentic self.
For the neurodivergent community, to start to dopamine dress is to an embrace of personal tastes in clothing, without considering how much our outfits help us ‘fit in’. You will often find that someone who has recently been diagnosed as neurodivergent may suddenly be dressing in a more ‘out there’ way. This is likely down to them finally dressing how they want to, rather than suppressing these tastes.
But that’s not to say that only neurodivergent people can dopamine dress! The act of consciously embracing personal style, and wearing things that make you happy is something anyone can do. Whether you choose to go down a complete wardrobe overhaul, or simply reach for a mood-boosting outfit on a day you need a lift, you can incorporate dopamine dressing into your routine.
