Have you ever been walking, minding your own business, when suddenly you see someone wearing an outfit that is so incredibly cute that you can’t help but stare and wish you could pull something off like that? Well this just in: You can!
The very thought of “I could never pull that off” creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you say, “No, I could never wear that,” but you know you want to, you’ve just limited yourself from looking awesome and being who you truly want to be.
In middle school and high school, I wasn’t allowed to dress the way I wanted or wear make-up, but for that I thank my mother; if I’d had it my way at that age, my wardrobe would have consisted of nothing but super-low-rise pants, studded belts, and heavy black eyeliner. It was only in the summer before my senior year of high school that I realized I was able to look and dress the way I wanted to. While on a mission trip, a group of friends ambushed me, wielding tweezers, scissors, and flat irons. Scary as that sounds, I am eternally grateful for their handiwork that day. When I looked in the mirror, I was changed, and it wasn’t just my straight hair, newly plucked eyebrows, or the strawberry lip-gloss I couldn’t wait to wipe off. It was the way I looked at myself; I saw my potential for the first time, and from that moment on, I would hold on to it. I wouldn’t go back to high school with the same bun I had been rocking since 6th grade or with my unibrow. I would hold my head up high with freshly cut bangs and curled lashes and be the girl I wanted to be.
Now, high school was just the starting point. My fashion choices were often stunted by my need to please other people, from friends to boyfriends. I could never really dress for myself completely. After falling out with friends and ending relationships, I decided I owed it to myself to dress for me and only me. This path started with thinking of things I’d always wanted to wear and going out and finding them. Then I decided to clean out my closet. I set out to find anything I hadn’t worn in a while –– pants, dresses, shirts –– and started to make cutoffs, crop tops, and just things that I actually wanted to wear. The result: A whole new wardrobe, a whole new me!
Now, clothes and fashion aren’t everything, but depending on what you’re wearing, how you wear it, and the attitude you accessorize it with, you can either be and feel like a runway model strutting your stuff in front of admirers or like a lowly peasant just trying to get by. So, I challenge you, the next time you see something and you find yourself thinking, “Oh, you can rock that, but I could never pull that off,” TRY IT! Please try, because if you keep limiting yourself, it’s not only going to impact your fashion, but it’s going to leak into the rest of your life. This new year make choices, take chances, and do something fun for yourself. Wear that crop top, buy some thigh high socks, bust out that red lipstick, but do it for no one but you.