It's called "dopamine dressing"

Beth Testa was adorned in vibrant hues — bright-orange capris, a flowy turquoise top with hints of sunny yellow and serpentine green, and a medley of polychromatic jewelry on her fingers, wrists, ears and neck. Her platinum blond hair was slicked back, her lips swathed in coral. An unforgettable burst of color standing in her consignment shop on a recent afternoon, Testa confidently described fashion as “euphoric.”

“Every day I wake up and decide who I want to be,” says Testa, owner of The Pink Poodle on Odana Road. “When you feel good, you could rule the world.”

The stylish, euphoria-inspiring clothing Testa favors became mainstream in recent years, and now it has a name — fashion psychologists and enthusiasts dub it “dopamine dressing.” The idea is this: What you wear can boost your mood. The funky patterns and bright colors you love release a rush of dopamine the same way exercise, great food and your favorite music do. All you need to ask yourself is, “Does this make me feel good?”

Testa typically builds her outfits around the first thing that grabs her attention. It could be a shirt with an unusual pattern or a colorful wig. From there, she grabs bits and bobbles until she has a full ensemble. Her outfits, as well as the outfit pairings she shows off in weekly Facebook Live videos, showcase her joyfully bold style. Pink, red and leopard items are Testa’s favorites, but she’s not picky as long as they’re bright.

Alicia Hazen — lifestyle blogger and Instagram influencer known as Madtown Momma — gravitates toward royal blue and kelly green. Like Testa, Hazen has an affinity for fashion that goes way back. In high school, she worked at Rogan’s Shoes and built a shoe collection she describes as “out of this world.”

Hazen was a ’90s kid who wore thrifted lime green polyester pants, bib overalls, burlap Converse shoes and platform sandals. For a few months in college, she worked for Express, so her fashion choices became more sophisticated. Today, Hazen is less interested in trends and describes her style as comfortable, casual, a little bohemian — and very colorful.

Fashion is her highway for self-expression, so even though she has a lot of everyday basics, nothing is boring.

“I want something that’s got an extra oomph,” she says. “I want that extra something that makes it feel more ‘me.’ When I finally bought a blazer for work, I got a white-and-black-striped blazer, and I had a coral one, too.”

Hazen says her style helps her project outwardly who she is on the inside, and it’s helped her love herself and her body. “If I dress well, I feel good,” Hazen says. “It doesn’t matter how heavy I am at the time. It doesn’t matter if I’m older. I’m at peace with where I’m at.”

Hazen and Testa agree that the wrong clothing can make people feel deflated. And sometimes our perceptions of what we can and can’t wear come from other people, Testa notes.

“Someone can tell you one time that you shouldn’t wear something, and it sticks with you your whole life. I hate that people do that to someone else,” Testa says.

She recalls a colleague who wore heels every day; when asked why, her co-worker told her she used to get teased for her height. Testa has customers with all kinds of fashion hang-ups — don’t listen to anyone else, she says; wear what you want. Hazen’s advice is to have fun. Play around with outfits and do what feels good. If you want to wear skinny jeans, wear skinny jeans.

“Everyone gets in their head sometimes,” Hazen says. “The more you experiment, the easier it is to find what does and doesn’t fit your style. So try something different and eventually you’ll get to a place where it’s like, ‘Yeah, this is what fits me best, and I’m expressing who I am without feeling like I’m a cookie-cutter [version] of someone else.’ ”

Some Rules Are Good Rules

While there are no rules, finding your unapologetic style can be a challenge. That’s where Melissa Jenkins comes in. Jenkins is an image consultant and color analyst for House of Colour, an organization that represents consultants all over the country.

She’s a member of Lisa Pretto’s Madison-based team, which helps people all over southern Wisconsin unveil their most flattering colors and styles.

House of Colour splits the color spectrum into four seasons — winter, spring, summer and autumn — with 36 shades in each. A color analysis takes two to three hours and Jenkins looks at the undertone layer of people’s skin to determine their season. Every season has reds, greens, blues and yellows. The analysis reveals which shade of green, for example, works for each client. Some shades will make you look tired, while others give you that lit-from-within glow, Jenkins says.

“Confidence wearing color is the number one goal,” Jenkins says. “A lot of people want to wear neutrals or black. A quarter of each of the seasons have neutrals in them, so we’re not saying you can’t wear a neutral color. Winters are the only ones that get black, but I’m not going to tell someone to not wear black. I’m looking to expand their color palette.”

Jenkins’ analysis revealed that her season is spring. The palette is bright and airy with a few splashy tones. She used to wear a lot of burgundy and olive green, which made her look drab and a bit washed out. Now her closet is filled with splashy chromatics — coral, peach, flamingo pink and a minty green she never would have chosen before.

“Everyone has the ability to feel good in the body they have right now,” she says. “I’m really passionate about helping people feel beautiful no matter who they are. Color can seem unimportant, but it can unlock a door for people to realize the magic that is already within them.”

Creating your own joy with the clothes you wear — a task most of us have to do every day anyway — is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. Testa would tell you to put on the sparkly earrings you thought you were too old to wear. Hazen would say to buy those funky shoes you’ve been eyeing. And Jenkins would affirm that there’s a huge spectrum of colors that will enhance your features.

In other words, have fun with clothing that feels authentically you.

Shelby Rowe Moyer is a contributing writer at Madison Magazine.

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