How colour therapy influences your OOTD pick and fashion purchases

You don’t need me to tell you that an outfit can be a whole mood, and that clothes can be a powerful form of self-expression. But what’s even cooler is that the colours we wear can secretly work some magic on our emotional state. Our minds subconsciously know this, too. And that’s the reason why we often gravitate towards specific shades at specific times. Like last week, when you were feeling stuck and (seemingly randomly) picked out that vivid lime-hued top? Yeah, that might’ve been because your brain was craving a subtle serotonin hit from being around green and its oh-so-fresh, rejuvenating vibes. 

Spooky, I know! But it’s also science: when mini receptors on your eyeballs take in a colour, they shoot a signal to your brain that can trigger an emotional response. This is why wearing a bright shade can enhance your mood—kind of like how sitting next to the light of a sun lamp during dark winter mornings can help to alleviate some people’s symptoms of seasonal affective disorder.

What each tone makes you feel depends on where it sits on the rainbow spectrum. Most of this comes from historical associations that originated way back—I’m talking centuries ago—and are still super embedded in society today, says Dawnn Karen, a fashion psychologist at New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology. (And I really do mean centuries ago: folks in ancient Egypt and Greece were already using various coloured stones, crystals and dyes in their healing rituals.)

Modern marketing and advertising firms have wielded the power of colour, too, using it to prompt certain responses or compel purchases (and now you know why car insurance logos are typically blue, evoking confidence and stability). Workplaces are in on it as well, painting their offices, say, violet to foster feelings of creativity. 

But all of this isn’t just a sneaky way for businesses to sway your feelings. Colour therapy is having a big moment right now because designers—and the people who wear their clothes—have realised that anyone can get in on the action by intentionally choosing what tones to wear. 

Lingerie designer Chloé Julian kept this in mind while creating her line Videris; she decided to narrow in on nine colours and their meanings. Julian hopes her rosy-pink bras and underwear can prompt feelings of self-acceptance, while her purple ones will spark imagination and spirituality. ‘It’s about taking a small moment for yourself each morning to be like, “How do I want to feel?” And then picking out something to put on that supports that feeling,’ says Julian. Other designers, such as Roxanne Assoulin and Tanya Taylor, have released colour therapy collections of beaded bracelets and T-shirts respectively. 

Obviously, wearing specific colours isn’t a replacement for actual mental health treatment. Instead, you should consider colour therapy as a simple method for temporarily improving your state of mind. The impact it can have on your mood—and the moods of those around you—is undeniable, says Karen. 

Case in point: during the pandemic, Karen had a doctor who was treating Covid patients. To help lift her spirits during a devastating time, Karen suggested she started wearing yellow clothes. And the result? The doctor and her patients reported feeling happier. All of which is to say that you may as well give colour therapy a try. At best, you’ll be more in tune with your emotions; at worst, you’ll look amazing in that hot-pink dress. Not a bad scenario at all, right? So, what are you waiting for? Go forth and start wearing your true colours.

This piece originally appeared in the April 2022/May 2022 of Cosmopolitan UK