Dopamine Dressing: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
My favourite film from my teens was Sophie Kinsella's book, Confessions of a Shopaholic, staring Reese Witherspoon, the secret shopaholic who bought designer clothes for the sugar candy high. Similarly, in a small town in Shropshire, whilst not quite Chanel and Gucci, I remember my sister and I rushing to our nearest Next first thing on Boxing Day to queue up at 6AM with the rest of the bargain hunters. We rarely bought anything, but the thrill of the chase was enough. It was addictive!
Retail therapy is a thing and many people find themselves in a situation where we associate buying a new item of clothing with pleasure, satisfaction, and a sense of 'feel' good. 'Feel good' feelings are caused by the chemical dopamine. Since I'm not a scientist, I'll apologise if my language is clumsy, but dopamine is basically a neurotransmitter that's produced in the brain. As humans, our brains are hardwired to seek out behaviours that release dopamine as part of our reward system. The brain releases dopamine when we do something pleasurable, like hunting down those half-price jeans in the sale or we bag the coat that everyone is raving about. The feeling you have when you hit the ‘buy now’ button can be addictive and for some of us, it’s a slippery slope and you want to feel the same way again. This is where shopping can become addictive, and you have a closet full of clothes and often nothing you actually want to wear.
Retail therapy is not the only source of a dopamine hit. Meditation, sex, good food, sunlight, time in nature and exercise are other sources of dopamine and they don’t fill up your wardrobe with unwanted togs!! I don’t want to cast a silk screen over serious medical conditions associated with high and low dopamine levels but I am no Doctor so i will acknowledge this topic and leave it untouched.
This blog is about shopping and how our brains react when we purchase that coveted item or bag a sale bargain. Its interesting to examine our shopping habits and the ways in which the thrill of the chase can lead us down the retail rabbit hole and into buying clothes we'll never wear. Everybody loves a bargain, but it's only a bargain if you use it and need it. Sale shopping brings out the worst dopamine addicts of us all. I have been there. This is the UGLY.
The dopamine demon is triggered not just by sale shopping. Many people hate high street shopping but are keyboard warriors when it comes to online shopping. Once the 'BUY NOW' button is clicked, the buzz is created and cloud 9 is exhilarating. As guilt sets in, we often realise that we were really shopping out of boredom or a lack of a 'feel good' feeling, and we remembered that shopping was our quick fix. Returning clothes today is easy, but understanding what we are doing and questioning mindless purchases are fascinating parts of understanding our behaviour. What other ways could we get our dopamine fix or could we challenge this feeling of boredom and look at it as peace?
I may have a few friends reading this piece who have been shocked (I would like to call it sheer delight) by my wardrobe. Hands up, I have been collecting dresses since I was 16, so my collection is vast. However, in an effort to practice what I preach, I have recently donated a lot of dresses to my son’s local school for a fund-raising initiative to help teenagers seeking a new frock when heading to prom. My new wardrobe reminded me that, according to Dr. Jennifer Baumgartner's new book, You Are What You Wear, most people wear only 20% of their closet 80% of the time. I am sure many of us can relate to this!
The GOOD part of shopping comes when we choose things carefully which we need. Carefully curating your closet is to choose well, buy less and look after it. This is what I try and teach my clients and stick to myself!!
The question is, how do we dodge dopamine, shop consciously and curate a closet which is full of everyday essentials and a few special occasion pieces which make dressing effortless and also define your style personality. I will talk more about how to do a wardrobe edit on a separate blog but for now, follow the steps below to keep your purchasing focused and under control.
1) Do a stock check of your wardrobe and get an overview of everything you still need.
A few ideas to get you started:
Get honest with yourself about your wardrobe. Keep the items you still wear and remove the pieces which haven’t seen the light of day since 1999 and put them in the NO pile.
With space in your wardrobe, it's time to get excited and creative! What is missing from your outfits that prevents you from putting them together effortlessly. Take a look at your style both on and off duty.
Maybe you're missing a few key statement pieces, such as a winter wool coat or the perfect jeans you can wear all year round.
Are you aware of which colours you look good in? Would it be possible to inject some new colours into your collection that suit your complexion. The answer is YES if you're looking at a sea of navy, black, and grey!
2) Turn unclear ideas into tangible pieces
When you clear out about your wardrobe, you will likely have some clear ideas about where some gaps exist, for instance, a summer coat to wear over casual dresses, and more vague ideas, such as 'more going out for dinner with friends' clothes. Now what;
Write down what you have in your wardrobe and what you lack to put outfits together. It's often the simple items that make all the difference, such as a plain t-shirt or a light-weight crew neck sweater.
Put your best foot forward. Make sure you have the right shoes to match your outfits. Rehome shoes that you won't use again.
3) Organise your shopping list by priority – High, mid and low
To do this, ask yourself the following question? What impact will this item have on my ability to put together different outfits and express my style? A basic item is usually a top priority, along with pieces in colours that you haven't thought of before.
Then consider this. How big is the gap that adding this piece to my wardrobe would fill? Stay away from items similar to what you already have and opt for pieces currently underrepresented.
Make a list now. Three columns. High, Mid, Low.
4) Overhaul you wardrobe one step at a time
This is an incredible exciting project so take it slowly. Do your research and try on clothes in shops to get used to new styles and colours. When you are in the shop and think you have found the perfect item, be careful of our sneaky friend dopamine and refer back to the list of priorities.
Top three mistakes to avoid
1) Comprising on quality for a lower price
2) Buying a new wardrobe all at once
3) An eBay addiction or a Vinted addiction. It's fun to browse and find bargains, but like sale shopping, you can get addicted to the rush of winning, a little like gambling, and end up with things you don't need. This falls into into the UGLY category. Nonetheless, I love EBAY and buy lots of my clothes there and advise clients to the same. I just notice when I am getting carried away.
Knowing what happens in our minds when we are surfing a sale wave hopefully allows you to take a breath and refer back to your list of requirements. While I don't intend to be a buzz kill, I love collecting and shopping and want you to enjoy your search for the perfect purchase. Searching and seeking can be even more enjoyable than purchasing! Wearing and looking fabulous the cherry on the top.
So to end this piece on a happy high, Buy Less, Choose Well and Make it Last!