Stepping off his RAF plane in Japan this morning, Rishi Sunak was dressed in his usual dark suit, white shirt and tie, the standard uniform of a politician setting off on an official visit abroad.
But his wife Akshata Murty had none of it. As a multi-millionaire businesswoman herself, the “First Lady” of the United Kingdom was not received so calmly.
Ms Murty showed off her skills at dopamine dressing – which involves wearing bright colors to exude positivity and lift your spirits – and wowed in a fuchsia sweatshirt and island green trousers from £165 ME+EM.
She didn’t even get off the plane in Tokyo, but rather exploded, unlike her husband and everyone around her.
It was a statement from the Prime Minister’s wife, who has been building her profile in support of her husband in recent months.
And it also drew a comparison with one of her predecessors: Carrie Johnson also chose pink when she accompanied Boris Johnson to the G7 summit in Cornwall in 2021.
Ms Murty showed off her skills at dopamine dressing – which involves wearing bright colors to exude positivity and uplift the mood – and wowed in a fuchsia sweatshirt and green trousers.
Ms Murty showed off her skills at dopamine dressing – which involves wearing bright colors to exude positivity and uplift the mood – and wowed in a fuchsia sweatshirt and green trousers.
Carrie Johnson also chose pink when she accompanied Boris Johnson to the G7 Summit in Cornwall in 2021.
ME+EM is popular with celebrities such as the Princess of Wales, Duchess of Edinburgh, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, Helen Mirren, Amanda Holden and Holly Willoughby.
The 43-year-old is earning increasing praise from fashionistas for favoring affordable mid-range British brands over luxury labels. And a recent visitor to No. 10 could be behind this successful choice.
It appears that Ms Murty may be taking style advice from Isabel Spearman, the PR guru who previously worked as an unofficial dresser for Samantha Cameron during her husband’s tenure at Downing Street.
The brand adviser was spotted heading to No10 just days before last weekend’s coronation, where the PM’s wife wore a £495 baby blue Claire Mischevani dress, which one commentator hailed as “incredible”.
Ms Murty also accompanied the Prime Minister to a meeting with big company bosses in Tokyo and announced they were committing to investing nearly £18 billion in the UK.
When they boarded the flight that took them to the G7 summit in Hiroshima, she wore a rather somber green dress.
The Prime Minister’s wife wore a £495 baby blue Claire Mischevani dress to the coronation, with one commentator praising it as “incredible”.
Ms Murty also accompanied the Prime Minister to a meeting with big company bosses in Tokyo and announced they were committing to investing nearly £18 billion in the UK.
The Prime Minister said the pledges were a “massive vote of confidence” in the UK economy after he outlined an upbeat outlook for public finances.
But Mr Sunak has ordered talks with the EU over car concerns after warning of an “existential threat” posed by the upcoming deadline for a Brexit trade deal.
Mr. Sunak outlined the investments as he prepares to host a reception for business leaders in the Japanese capital on Thursday to promote closer ties.
He expects to meet bosses from Nissan, Toshiba and Mitsubishi Estate, as well as representatives from UK firms Octopus Energy and Mott MacDonald.
What is dopamine dressing?
It’s become a buzzword, but what exactly is dopamine dressing? To put it simply, it is the targeted and coordinated selection of clothing that increases the mood.
Known as the feel-good hormone, dopamine is a neurotransmitter known to play a role in how our brains experience pleasure.
When we’re low on dopamine, we tend to feel bored, unmotivated, or depressed.
And even experts agree that wearing clothes that boost mood can have a positive impact.
Neuroscientist and professor of marketing psychology at Hult International Business School Matt Johnson recounted SELF: “Dopamine is responsible for anticipating how the outfit will be received by others and for assessing the feedback we get from the social world.”
“When the overall experience is positive, we experience an overall mood boost.”
Dopamine dressing saw a huge surge as the world emerged from lockdowns and people who had felt at home in loungewear for months embraced bright colors and glam in response to being social again.
While the most modern fashionistas have already transitioned to the vanilla aesthetic, which is all about beige, cream and neutrals, bright colors are still dominating the high streets this season.
