May 1, 2023

Photo Story: UMICH Students Show Off Their ‘Dopamine Dressing’ on the Diag

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in our brain’s reward system, associated with pleasure, motivation, and satisfaction. In spring, when the gray’s of winter have been hanging around for months, a pop of color or an expressive pattern can be just the dopamine release you need.

The term “Dopamine dressing” was coined by the fashion psychologist Dawnn Karen, who defines it as the act of wearing clothes that make you feel happy and confident to boost your mood and overall well-being.

At UMMA, artist YehRim Lee creates the same reaction in the vibrant colors and textures of her clay sculptures — on view now as part of an exhibition of the same name, Dopamine Dressing.

Our galaxy-brain moment came when we thought: What if we combine these two ideas? UMMA’s exhibition + Fashion = Double the dopamine, right??

We partnered with @Umichfits, a popular fashion Instagram account on the University of Michigan campus to highlight the U-M student’s take on this global fashion trend. Check out the fits below for some inspiration. Oh, and stay for the smiles.