Many people start off the semester dressing up and looking cute. Honestly, this lasts for two weeks and then people start whipping out the leggings and UGG slides (myself included). During the Fall semester, I decided to challenge myself. I wanted to look nice every day no matter the weather or how I was feeling. I dropped all of my lame excuses: “it’s just school,” “I’m on my period,” “I’m too lazy to spend time looking for an outfit” and so on. I flipped my perspective completely; I work at a retail store, I love fashion, and I enjoy shopping. What was stopping me?
My low confidence.
I didn’t want to let go of my plain crew neck sweaters and basic tees. As a sales associate, I encounter many different customers. There’s always that one girl who says, “This is SO cute… but I could never pull it off.” If there’s anything I could relate to more, it’d be that line. But how would I really know if I didn’t even try it on? One day I walked into my job on my day off and pushed my excuses aside. I pulled everything that I liked and forced myself into the fitting room. I was tired of feeling boring and disconnected from my love of fashion; I wanted to feel on top of the world.
As the Fall semester unraveled, I created outfits on outfits on outfits. All I had to do was push my boundaries. I tried things that (supposedly) did not conform with my body, according to “beauty standards” portrayed in the media. I bought slim-fitting turtlenecks, skirts and pointy boots. I also attempted looks that I used to absolutely hate. For example, I hated wearing red stripes because if I wore it with blue jeans, I thought I’d look like the American flag. (Ridiculous, I know.) Now, half of my closet is filled with stripes. I always grew up having 3 to 5 pairs of jeans. Today, I have tripled the number of my jeans in order to have versatility in my closet. Aside from jeans, I bought wide leg pants, boyfriend jeans, corduroy pants and so on. Everything I adored and walked away from suddenly became a part of me.
I wanted to share my experience with everyone I know; what better way of doing this than posting my fashion journey on Instagram? I began to document my outfits through stories and posts. Prior to doing this, my Instagram was super boring. Dressing up gave me the confidence I never knew I had. I felt way more outgoing and finally had the courage to talk to people first. I canceled my dressing up for a “two-week trial” and chose to dress up every day. I set time aside for myself in the morning to pick out my outfit of the day because I want to prioritize my presence. Because people slowly started to wear oversized hoodies in the cold weather, I stood out. Ever since the end of the Fall semester, I couldn’t stop. I won’t leave my house unless I’m feeling 100% about myself. If I look good, I feel good. My self-esteem grew, and so did my wardrobe.
The last thing I want to leave you with is to just try new things, as cliché as it may sound. You don’t have to drop your old, comfy high school hoodie or your favorite black pair of leggings. If you want to switch it up, window shop and get in that fitting room if you see something you like. Start off with a handful of things and see where it goes. Because we’re in the Spring semester, many new seasonal fashion trends are popping up in stores. I challenge you to drop your two-week trial and stand out on campus, bring something new to the table! You never know what opportunities you may come across if you don’t try new things.