When I eat food I love, I do a happy dance. When I get exciting news, I jump for joy.
And when I wear fun clothes?
I spin and laugh and revel.
Before I’d heard the terms “autistic joy” or “dopamine dressing,” I just knew that life was hard, but there was massive, full-body joy to be had if I sought it out. Soft velvets and twirly lace, rich purples and sparkling stones—my enthusiasm for clothing was so palpable that it landed me my first job offer at 15, working at a local high-fashion retailer. Thus began a lifelong passion for sharing happiness through clothing.
What is Dopamine Dressing?
In the last few years, “dopamine dressing” started trending across social media and blogs. Harpers Bazaar, Self Magazine, and even Business Insider have featured articles about the practice, and #dopaminedressing has hundreds of thousands of posts on Instagram and TikTok.
“Dopamine dressing” is a term coined as shorthand for the idea that you can deliberately choose to wear clothes that spike your dopamine (AKA happy chemicals), and is often associated with a notably bright, fun style. The concept of emotionally uplifting clothing isn’t new. Marie Kondo asks you to only keep shirts that spark joy. The Red Hat Society, a movement of women 50+ who wear purple clothes and red hats to help them grow old in a “playful” manner, has been around since 1997.
While the phrase is starting to become common parlance, there’s not much actual science behind it. A few scattered studies that prove mood and clothing are linked: clothing can be used as a “mood management tool” and certain outfits can alter our actions. In the famous “lab coat study,” for example, scientists confirmed that people perform better on tests if they are wearing doctor’s garb.
We’re told not to judge a book by its cover, but dopamine dressing points to another truth: the cover might actually affect the book. Still, since no scientist has tried to measure dopamine levels of people wearing specific outfits, the idea of “dopamine dressing” is just a fancy way of saying “wear what makes you happy.”
But for me and other people with neurodivergent traits, dopamine dressing feels like something… more.
To this day, I’ll have a meltdown if someone tries to dress me in an itchy wool sweater. But the flip side of my strong negative reaction is a strong positive one: I get a heady rush of delight when I tuck into my silk velvet blanket, giggling and rolling around.
It turns out the happy dances and twirls in my favorite dresses are my own ways of “stimming.” Before I heard of dopamine dressing, I had never connected my joyful outbursts with the stimming I’d seen on screen: a vaguely negative depiction of a neurodivergent character getting “too” excited about something, loudly clapping or flapping their hands, and causing a scene.
When I realized how much my clothing was affecting me, the pieces of my style just… clicked. I got rid of things I was trying to tolerate because I “should be able to.” I allowed myself to treat my choice of daily outfits as part of my mental health practice, without shame or judgment. Stiff blue jeans were out; bamboo joggers were in. The plain jacket was out; a rhinestone suede cropped jacket became my staple item.
As I came to accept and embrace my sensory sensitivities, I was struck by a curious notion—if neurodivergent people have stronger reactions to inputs, it’s possible that I’m deriving more intense joy from my clothing than the average person.
Wear What Sparks Neurodivergent Joy
Autistic joy (and more broadly, neurodivergent joy) is a term used in our communities that highlights a type of excitement exclusive to us. It can be over a special interest, hyperfixation, or sensation! Autistic joy, like dopamine dressing, is not a scientific term. While so much funding has gone to study the problems and shortcomings of being neurodivergent, so little has gone into understanding our lived experiences, including some of the unique benefits.
There’s a critical neurodivergent angle to dopamine dressing that goes beyond “wear bright, happy clothes.” For us, a color, a texture, or a shape can strongly impact our ability to regulate our nervous systems–and by extension, our moods. Yes, a misplaced sock seam can ruin my day, but the stimming sensations of rubbing the silk of my shirt, twirling my rings as fidget toys, and giggling at the colorful sparkles of my skirt have the power to buoy me.
Thankfully, retailers are catching onto the benefits of making accessible fashion. My closet is full of clothes made of absurdly soft fabrics, without the dreaded itchy tags, and with elastic that compresses without cutting in.
In a world that’s harsh, dopamine dressing could prove more than just a fun trend for neurodivergent folk. It’s a way to access our authentic, unmasked selves. Dopamine dressing is a reminder to prioritize what regulates and protects us, to take seriously and relish how sensitive we are, and to indulge in our own neurodivergent joy.
BIO: Najva Sol is a product leader, problem solver, and community builder. She spent the last decade crafting moments of delight, vulnerability, and connection, both URL + IRL.
