Color Me Impressed: How the Clothes in Our Closet Affect Mood

by Kerri Cooke

Did you know there is a branch of psychology related to color? It details how color affects consumer behavior and mood. Some colors, such as red, elicit a strong emotional response in our brains. For example, the red on a stop sign or red lipstick on a woman. Even Pablo Picasso said, “Colors, like features, follow the change of the emotions. Already a consideration in interior design, the power of color can be harnessed in our wardrobes if we want a boost of joy or boldness for the day. But remember, shades of the same color can promote completely different feelings. Ashley Lambert and Marla Bernauer with Bloom in Color, a local business which offers a 12-season color analysis, give us their take on why the color of your clothing matters. 

“I remember this soft yellow shirt I wore in high school, and it just made me happy every time I put it on,” says Lambert. “Now I know it’s because that shade really worked for me. Colors stick with us! When we’ve felt good or gotten compliments in a certain color, our brains remember that, and it affects how we feel when we wear it again. I always tell people, if a color makes you feel good, there’s usually a reason. Maybe you wore it during a really happy time. Those experiences shape how color affects our mood and confidence.” 

Bernauer says, “We see every day how transformative the right color palette can be. Clients often describe feeling more confident, more comfortable and more at ease once they’re wearing colors that truly work for them. Color has the ability to unlock emotion. We’ve seen clients become overwhelmed in the best way, moved to tears by the confidence and relief they feel when they finally see themselves in the right colors.” 

So, what are the color trends for 2026 you will be seeing at local boutiques? Pantone listed the color of the year as “Cloud Dancer,” which is a white shade. While some declared the shade boring after the announcement, there’s no doubt that this color is a popular staple in minimalist and maximalist closets. White is a building block color and matches everything. 

In a world where many issues are beyond our control, the choice to dress a certain way can empower us. Lambert says this year trending colors are “calm but happy—cheerful yellows, bold blues and fresh pastels. The fun part is that these shades exist in different versions, so when you find the ones that really work for you, they feel even better to wear.”