The weather so far this year has been awful. Proper English rain, the drizzly kind that requires you to cart round several waterproof layers and an umbrella the size of a circus tent to stay even remotely dry.

Admittedly, I hold nothing against the rain. In moderation, it can even be charming. Cambridge in the drizzle becomes quite picturesque, all gleaming cobbled streets and shopfronts on a misty morning. You can almost forget the dampness creeping up your trouser hem. However, it’s hard to ignore the drizzly, washed-out haze has settled over my favourite fashion haunts and social media feeds. Window displays, magazine covers, Instagram posts, all flaunting varying degrees of beige. Oat, ash, sepia – you would think there is a national shortage of pigment.

“I personally struggle to find much joy, serenity or otherwise, in a shade akin to cold custard”

In late December, the colour-matching company Pantone deemed ‘Cloud Dancer White’ its 2026 Colour of the Year. Vogue, naturally, went wild, raving about ‘harmony’ and ‘tranquillity’. I personally struggle to find much joy, serenity or otherwise, in a shade akin to cold custard. This sudden craze for slicked back pallor, the epitome of fashion’s ‘clean girl’ aesthetic, has swamped any sense of originality and vibrancy. While ashen jeans and a magnolia shirt might look presentable, an outfit comparable to an anaemic meringue lacks any vivacity or expression.

Enter dopamine dressing: the art of adding colour and texture to outfits based around what you find joyful. Despite the crowds of models clad in pinkish beige prowling around London Fashion Week, bright, sunny colours and their mood-enhancing power have long been a hot fashion feature. Think of the flamboyant, brazen glamour of the roaring twenties, or the popularity of a scarlet pout amidst the Second World War. The so-called ‘dopamine dressing’ effect is nothing mystic lurking within the colours we wear: we have actually been conditioned to associate certain shades, ‘buttery yellow’ and ‘cherry red’ to name but a few, as uplifting, empowering, joyous.

Dopamine, in short, is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in our brain’s reward and pleasure systems. Referred to as the ‘feel-good’ hormone, it boosts our mood, motivation, attention and wellbeing when we anticipate or experience something rewarding. Studies have suggested that viewing and wearing certain colours and patterns affects our emotional state, boosting while also stimulating the production of serotonin.

“A pistachio-hued scarf peeking out from a camel trench, or a flash of indigo against a cream jumper”

Embracing dopamine dressing, however, need not look as though you have stepped out of an episode of Teletubbies. The art lies in thoughtful curation, layering pops of brighter colours against a more neutral toned base. Yes, I am endorsing the strategic wearing of ‘Cloud Dancer White’ here. A pistachio-hued scarf peeking out from a camel trench, or a flash of indigo against a cream jumper. The trick is to add dots of visual interest; less is always more.

Colours certainly don’t have to be neon either. A dialled down shade of marshmallow pink can be just as joy-inducing as a vibrant cerulean blue. Sift through your wardrobe and take note of the pieces which genuinely make you smile. Fashion’s feel-good potential is at its most transformative when you leverage it alongside your own style instincts.

Functionality, of course, should not be forgotten. As much as cycling in a sweeping trench offers ultimate main-character energy, the drama of getting entangled in a bike chain is rarely worth it. On cycle-heavy days, I prefer to lean into eccentric accessories. Cherry red tights, and a satchel the colour of sunshine and egg yolks, are my latest ‘dopamine’ obsessions.

The delight of fashion lies much much deeper than conformity: the trends filtering through social media and high street shops don’t allow for the truest form of self-expression. Fashion is your visual identity; dopamine dressing is a wakeup call to embrace whatever weird and wonderful items of clothing catch your fancy on a drizzly Monday morning. Clothes, after all, are made to be worn, preferably on the everyday. Yes, even those sequin silver fishnets loitering at the back of your wardrobe.