It’s almost a cliché, but we live in very troubled times. After the Corona pandemic we thought we could carry on carefree as before, but a cluster bomb of crises seems to be exploding in our society; there is even talk of a crisis society. And as if the climate crisis, housing crisis, energy crisis, purchasing power crisis, subsistence security crisis, nitrogen crisis and personnel crisis are not enough, we are also bombarded every day with doomsday scenarios of rising inflation and approaching recessions. So it’s not surprising that the number of people with depression and addiction has increased in recent years. However, as a human race, we are neuropsychologically equipped to survive crises: through our resilience! Our feeling of happiness plays an important role in this. And right now, the fashion world and fashion retail industry has a fantastic secret weapon to boost that happiness – and therefore resilience: dopamine dressing! What is it and – more importantly – what can you do with it?
An example of dopamine dressing
Dopamine dressing has taken center stage over the last year as a trend towards bright colors and big, happy accessories. Mostly to celebrate the fact that after the long crippling pandemic, we can get back on the streets and show ourselves. Oftentimes, dopamine fashion makes people think of wearing brightly colored clothing, but it’s much more than that. It’s about how the way you dress lifts your spirits — emphasizing the happy or strong sides of one’s own identity, which makes the trend personal. In order to understand the mechanisms of dopamine release, a brief excursion into neuropsychology is required.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter – and one of the feel-good hormones – that flows through our brain to carry information from one nerve cell to another. Dopamine makes us feel happy and rewarded. This motivates us to repeat a certain behavior in order to further increase the enjoyment. It therefore reinforces our liking for certain things in our lives. Scientists suspect that this mechanism is also activated when we buy or put on new clothes. In recent years, a great deal of research has been devoted to the influence of clothing on our mood. These include Professor Karen Pine from the University of Hertfordshire (UK), who is researching the topic of “dopamine dressing”. She found that participants’ self-confidence visibly increased when they put on clothes with a certain symbolic value. In short: fashion as a means to feel good and to increase resilience.
This fascinating power of clothing is also often taken up in Hollywood. For example, I recently watched the movie Mrs. Harris and a dress by Dior” [ab 10. November in deutschen Kinos, Anm. d. Red.] seen. As in a Disney fairy tale, we see Mrs. Harris, a lower working-class British housekeeper, make it her mission to buy a seemingly unattainable Christian Dior couture dress in Paris. The dress exudes happiness. But the story is clearly more than just the dress. It’s the same with fashion: the story goes beyond the product: consumers long for happiness! And indeed, we see Mrs. Harris going through a transformation. Coincidentally or not, this story is also set against the backdrop of an income crisis, a livelihood crisis, class inequality, and social unrest. But from my perspective of the customer experience, I also saw a very important and timely lesson: Ms. Harris’ journey as a customer became a real adventure. She got to know the history of Dior, the passion and compassion of the employees, the craftsmanship, the personal service and above all the power to surprise customers.
A mood lifter in practice
Apart from on the big screen and under the microscope of scientists in white coats, there are also successful implementations of dopamine dressing. For example, in the summer I discovered an unusual boutique in Milan called ‘La Double J’. She is named after her owner, Jennifer Jane – JJ – Martin. The shop is a kind of personal stage on which the owner’s feel-good philosophy is implemented. Everything in this store works like a mood enhancer for the senses. It also positions itself online as a “cheerful and mood-enhancing destination”.
In fact, La Double J started out as an online magazine selling vintage fashion. This is also reflected in the design of the store as a multi-tasking platform to promote a vibrant and conscious lifestyle. Its range therefore includes cheerful retro-inspired homeware (dishes, cutlery, vases and candlesticks) and lifestyle products. All in collaboration with local artists and designers. Because the owner acts as a curator on this platform, who knows exactly how to highlight the happy and strong feminine sides of her customers.
She therefore sees her business as a temple of feminine energy and wants to awaken something of a Greek goddess in every woman. She approaches this on multiple levels: Clients can be inspired by the store’s lush colors, shapes and murals, which are inspired by Mother Nature and her mystical powers. And stimulating the positive state of mind is not only in the material—the store’s furnishings, clothing, accessories, and housewares—but also in the spiritual. Because in the basement of the store is a hidden pantheon of goddesses, a sanctuary that customers can join for free and participate in meditation sessions, yoga classes, and wellbeing seminars. There are also events that connect women in their personal missions. This fits perfectly with their philosophy: to spread happiness in the interests of more love and goodwill in general. If customers sometimes leave the store afterwards with dishes worth 10,000 euros, you can say that they have collected many karma points.
Tips for dopamine dressing in your store
So, dopamine dressing isn’t just limited to clothing, it’s also in the experience of a particular store. As a fashion retailer, you have a valuable way of promoting the happiness and lifestyle of your customers. How can you do that in your store?
- Find out what your customers dream of. Only then will you know what drives you and what makes you happy. For example, if you want to cater to the enterprising man – the “high achiever” – in your menswear store, you would do well to focus on quality, performance and adventure. They then promote a life in elegant outfits and with innovative sports equipment, complemented by lifestyle products and events.
- Expand your shop into a platform. Expand your offer with services that support the (life) goals of your customers. For example, think of a personal styling consultation: what to wear to business events, to celebrations in the upcoming party season, to a date or any other place where you want to shine? Consider working with other entrepreneurs, such as hairdressers. Incidentally, according to CBS (October 2022), in this economic climate, consumers are making less and less sustainable purchases (clothes, shoes, home furnishings, and cars) while spending more and more on services (hairdressers, sporting events, and restaurants).
- Tell your story with passion and compassion. Use your presence on social media to give tips to your fashion-conscious customers. Do this with passion and compassion. For example, share lifestyle tips from your employees, about ten cool bars for happy cocktails or the most popular places for good food. But also tips on how to dress budget-consciously in these times. By doing this, you create opportunities, because customers appreciate it when you think along with them, and at the same time you open a “gap” for their needs when they want to go out in style.
It is an illusion to think that “dopamine dressing” will eliminate all crises, but at least it helps spread relief and hope among our clients and communities.
This is a contribution from Melvin van Tholl, Customer Experience Architect, BLOODY BELIEVERS, the creative and strategy agency that helps brands and companies develop groundbreaking solutions for their customer experiences. She does this for companies both in the Netherlands and abroad. In this series, van Tholl takes you into the wonderful world of consumers and shows you how you can future-proof your business from a customer experience perspective too.
This post originally appeared on FashionUnited.nl. Translated and edited by Simone Preuss.