It seems that conversations with my niece always provide rich material for The Space. Last Friday I saw her and she commented on my 'new' skirt. The skirt is a multi coloured skirt which is light and dark green, beige and black, pink and red... all in one. 'Your skirt makes me happy' she said, followed by 'do you know about dopamine dressing?'

Having spent a little bit of time investigating what dopamine dressing is I was surprised I wasn't aware of this before. 

Dopamine dressing is a phrase coined by fashion psychologist and professor Dawnn Karen in her book, "Dress Your Best Life". Professor Karen described it as the act of choosing clothing, brightly colored or bold, to boost your mood. This concept is also referred to as "mood enhancement dressing".

This concept of wearing certain clothes to make us happier is something which University of Hertfordshire's Professor Karen Pine investigated in 2012. Pine undertook a study into this idea of ‘dopamine dressing’ and found that when participants wore clothes of symbolic value to them, their perceived confidence increased.

There is a lot one could write about this, but what I would like to offer to you for this week is to think about how your clothes and dress choice make you happy... and may make others happy when they see what you are wearing. 

There is also another story about my skirt which I will share with you soon. It is more than just a skirt. 

What clothing items do you have that tell a story?

What clothes make you happy?

What do you wear that makes others happy? 

Have a great week!

All my best,
Saiyyidah