OPINION: The joy of fashion

By Li Li Schoenfelder

Fashion has decided it’s done with seasonal depression. After the past few months of winter when neutrals and beiges have been trending, joy has burst onto the rack with people who want to wear bright colors and statement pieces. Not only is this a style shift but it is also a consumer behavior shift. 

Not only is color in, but consumers are after products that make them feel something. People have real stressors in life – financial, medical, or emotional problems, and so they begin to reach for clothes that feel light. Consumers pick out products that they think will make them feel good; they want joy and they are willing to pay for it.  

This theory applies to other products too. For example, Bekman 1902, a skincare company, used joy in their campaign “Time for an Oil Change” by partnering with Jiffy Lube to sell their Oh! Mega Milk Fermented Facial Oil.  

In the ad, Jiffy Lub customers believed they were coming in for a routine oil change, but they were pleasantly surprised to see a full spa experience with message therapists and facialists. According to an article in Harvard Business Review, “the campaign went on to win industry awards and social media virality. Why? Because it was filled with unexpected joy” (Ridge, Kilmer-Purcell, Jensen, 2025). 

The beauty industry has always had this figured out. Marketers have found that “consumers are more likely to purchase affordable luxury products during a crisis because they provide comfort, minor indulgence, and an increase in morale” (Ridge, Kilmer-Purcell, Jensen, 2025). For example, after 9/11, Estee Lauder had an increase in lipstick sales.  

Now, with spring on the horizon, brands are pushing eclectic blues, bright yellows, and pink. They are using color as a mood, and everyone wants to be happy right now.  

But joyful fashion doesn’t stop at colors, it bleeds into fringe, rhinestones, and bouncy fabrics that spin and create movement. When clothes can move, people feel lighter and more expressive. Fashion is a form of emotional self-regulation. When the world feels unstable, consumers compensate by buying products that make them feel like they have some sort of control over their happiness.  

This logic also transfers to comfort food, impulsive purchases, and random décor objects. Marketers are not just selling a product, they are selling an emotion and providing relief.  

For those who are not interested in full bright colors, brands have introduced small pieces that show off your whimsical side. Socks with little animals or fruits on them, earrings shaped like candy, or fun, colorful scarves. These items are all small and affordable pieces of clothing that express individuality and joy. They are low-risk purchases that spike joy during a stressful time.  

Gen Z and Millennials have pushed the joy trend even further as they are found to value self-expression and authenticity through fashion. They gravitate towards fashion that feels personal rather than cut from the same cloth. But the bottom line is the return of joyful fashion is not random; it reflects what consumers crave right now: optimism, playfulness, and color.  

Reference: Ridge, B., Kilmer-Purcell, J., & Jensen, L. (2025, September 30). To set your brand apart, create moments of shareable joy.  Harvard Business Review.