Whenever fashion is brought up as the topic of conversation, be that at the dinner table, the library, or the pub, it’s nearly always about clothes and how we use them to showcase our individual style: “I love your scarf! Where’s it from?”, or “Wow those jeans are so cool!”. Style, we assume, lives on the body. But what about the fashion that remains firmly off it?

Individual taste, alongside personality, is easily deduced from a person’s everyday attire, but it is also inevitably fused with the objects in our possession: they are an immersive expression of our personal aesthetic. Style is extensive; it can reach far beyond the wardrobe and into our everyday belongings, rendering them fashionable in ways that exhibit our character and directly compliment the wardrobes we already so carefully curate.

“Style is a visual language that spills into our surrounding objects”

When I asked a group of friends and family what words they would use to describe my style, I was met with the answers “bright”, “vibrant”, “uplifting”, “fun”, “colourful”, “sunset”, “warm”, “light”, “soft” and “pretty”. My college wife emphasised my “springtime palette”, while my sister called my style a sure example of “dopamine dressing”. Dopamine dressing adopts a psychological outlook on fashion: enclothed cognition suggests that our clothing can determine how others perceive us, as well as influencing our own thoughts and feelings on a daily basis. Wearing bright colours and joyful patterns in this way is rumoured to increase dopamine levels and serotonin production, leaving you feeling energised and optimistic.

If what we wear can shape how we feel so much, it makes sense that the possessions and accessories around us can do the same: style is a visual language that spills into our surrounding objects. Dopamine décor has even made a name for itself. Let me share some examples of my own – my pink and red bath mat is loud and proud; “Get Naked” is emblazoned across its fluffy surface (equally, I’ve got my eye on another which displays “Sweet Cheeks” in rainbow lettering). My hand towels involve the same brightly coloured stripes I gravitate towards in my wardrobe, while my bath towels mirror the softer, sage green tone I wear when I want to feel slightly calmer – both demonstrate the colour palettes I gravitate most towards. One foot in my bathroom and you’d easily gather my vibe.

“Style doesn’t need to stop at our sleeves then, it can live on in the space around us”

My theory isn’t purely bathroom-based. Kitchenware is another obvious outlet for self-expression, individuality and creativity; like a wardrobe, it’s full of equally important choices to be made every single day. Which mug will I use? Which plate should I choose? My breakfast plate is an ode to the French A-level gone by; “le petit déjeuner” is written over a blue and white checkered background, embellished with a tiny croissant, jam pot and maple syrup bottle. Each object in your possession is an emotional time capsule like this one; big or small it will inevitably hold a memory, whether that be the memory of buying it, the people who’ve used it, or a reminder of past phases gone by.

My mugs, in matching vibrant colours, were bought with my mum before starting at Cambridge. As a result, they were chosen for their cheerful, encouraging slogans (“Hug in a mug” and “Rise and shine”) which now remind me of her with every sip. My water bottle is dotted with wildflowers, matching my bed sheets, pillowcases, and cushions. Together, these are all a continuation of the aesthetic I already choose to romanticise through my clothes. Style doesn’t need to stop at our sleeves then, it can live on in the space around us. Mine lives on in my bedside lamp, fashioned from a Gordon’s White Peach gin bottle, patchwork makeup bags made from old pairs of jeans and the dreamcatcher on my wall. These things don’t just demonstrate the evolution of our style but of our self. Just like our clothes, we grow up with them and then grow out of them, so that even when they no longer accurately reflect who we are, they remind us of the journey it took to get there.

“Let it seep into your surroundings and become your entire ecosystem, not just an outfit”

What I’m advocating for is some self-reflection – we could all benefit from thinking about our favourite possessions and how these, consciously or unconsciously, contribute to our overall sense of style and mirror our fashion choices. Whatever your style may be, minimalist and neutral, vintage-inspired or dark and gothic, let it seep into your surroundings and become your entire ecosystem, not just an outfit. The things you choose to buy should be the ones you’re naturally attracted to, those that will enhance your sense of self, self-confidence and remind you every day of exactly who you once were, and who you have become.