There’s a subtle difference when you stroll through Shoreditch on a Thursday afternoon. Not the coffee shops, not the vintage record vendors, not the rent-related chatter that was overheard. The coats are the problem.
A woman wearing a burned orange trench is there. A man wearing a green hoodie. At the lights, a person in mustard yellow crosses. This same pavement would have been covered in matte black clothing a year ago, including bags, trainers, jackets, and pants. There seems to be a subtle shift in that particular uniform, which is so distinctly London.
It’s more than an impression. There’s a change in this city’s fashion choices that goes beyond seasonal color schemes or trend cycles. It is based on real psychology. Beyond TikTok commentary, the idea of “dopamine dressing,” which holds that wearing brighter, more deliberate colors can affect mood and even cognitive function, has gained significant traction. For years, scholars who study what Professor Carolyn Mair refers to as “enclothed cognition” have argued that our thoughts, behaviors, and reactions to others are all influenced by the symbolic weight of our clothing choices.
The context is important for London. Black is the focal point of this city’s entire esthetic identity. Sharp, useful, and socially acceptable in all social classes and subcultures. Black is employed by the Tube. Black participates in a board meeting.
Black works in a basement bar at two in the morning. Not too long ago, there was a time when it seemed almost pointless to reach for anything else. However, people seem to have quietly begun removing various items from their hangers somewhere in the middle of navigating years of economic strain, political exhaustion, and a lingering post-pandemic unease. Fatigue has a way of announcing itself through small choices.
Celebrity chef Andi Oliver recently talked about how embracing color helped her overcome depression and rediscover who she was. Contrary to popular belief, that type of firsthand account has a wider appeal. It turns out that color is more than just a surface-level decision. According to a 2004 study, observers consistently show no emotional reaction to achromatic colors, including black. They don’t come across as warm, inviting, domineering, or menacing. They just appear to be neutral. This is helpful until neutral begins to feel more like invisibility than safety.
The trend toward what researchers refer to as “mood-elevating color” has an honest quality. Warmth and vitality are connected to yellow. Perhaps as a result of its strong connection to natural settings, green has quantifiable associations with both creativity and serenity.
Red indicates presence and improves physical performance. It’s crucial to remember that none of this is magic. There are significant gaps in the science here; no study has yet to measure dopamine levels in real time while a person switches from a black to a cobalt blue turtleneck. However, there is enough evidence of the connection between behavior and attire that it would be incorrect to reject the idea in its entirety.
London appears to be experiencing more of a recalibration than a trend. People seem to be reaching for color as a conscious form of self-expression rather than a passive habit after years of collective stress. This feeling is hard to measure but difficult to ignore. This is what Professor Mair refers to as “conscious dressing,” which is the process of determining your desired mood before selecting your attire. That’s an important distinction. It’s the distinction between making a decision and getting dressed.
Of course, black isn’t going away. For that, it is too ingrained in the character of the city. However, it’s possible that London is letting go of the notion that wearing dark, simple clothing is the only appropriate style. There’s a quiet argument going on somewhere between the mustard yellow at the crossing and the burned orange coat on Shoreditch High Street: that color isn’t frivolous. It’s worth dressing for that mood. And that picking brightness at this moment may be among the more sensible choices a person can make.
