Like many other little girls, I adored the Disney princesses growing up. First, Aurora for her beautiful hair and enchanting voice, and later, Tiana for her undying ambition and self-assurance. To me, the Disney princesses represented beauty, grace, and empowerment – all of which I hoped to embody as I matured into the woman I am today. Yet, now I am twenty-one and my tiara is frequently retired; sitting next to my desk, it serves as a daily reminder that I am the princess I always hoped to become, though I will not be so bold as to share that with the world. And why? Well, I’m not sure. Why don’t twenty-one-year-old girls wear tiaras every day? What’s wrong with adding a little glitter and sparkle to your daily look? Who says you can’t be a princess?
With these questions in mind, I woke up Wednesday morning and decided to become the princess I know myself to be. Now, it’s important to note that I am not one who is quick to embarrassment; I am unapologetically loud and happy to let my presence be known, though there was something about the thought of wearing a tiara in public that made me feel slightly self-conscious. I stood in my room ready to go for about fifteen minutes before I finally convinced myself to step outside and publicly pronounce myself a princess. What once would have been an easy feat (and honestly expected) for ten-year-old Claire was now a test of confidence and free will for twenty-one-year-old Claire.
Cheeks blushed, lips glossed, and topped with a tiara, I was ready to take on Center City like a real princess. When I first stepped outside my house, I immediately became hyper-aware of every person I passed. Are they laughing at me? Did they just look at me funny? Do they think I look stupid? But that’s not what a princess would think, I reminded myself. A princess is confident in who she is and what she is meant to do, and I was meant to continue my venture into Center City. After boarding the SEPTA from the 34th St station, I was already starting to feel better. Once I was able to finally get out of my head, it became clear that nobody cared that I was wearing a tiara.
I spent the next two hours exploring the city, running some errands, and taking time to enjoy the ambiance of a couple of local businesses. I stopped at a small cafe and ordered my hot chocolate and croissant casually, where I was both surprised and relieved to be met with indifference by my cashier. I grabbed my sweet treats and set up shop in the cafe for about a half hour where I watched people come and go, minding their own business, simply enjoying some sweet treats and small breaks in their day. My trip to Trader Joe’s played out in a similar fashion, as I was met with disregard by both my cashier and the general public. It had been almost an hour and a half since I had left my house wearing the tiara, and I had yet to face a single remark about my rather royal accessory. It wasn’t until I ran a quick errand at Walgreens that I was finally met with a comment on my new look.
“Congratulations,” the woman exclaimed, beaming with enthusiasm. I was confused about why the woman was congratulating me – I was just running in to grab a few things and head home. “Are you not getting engaged?” the woman asked after she noticed my confusion. The tiara! Of course, I nearly forgot that people typically only wear tiaras on special occasions. “Oh no,” I replied, “I’m just wearing this for fun!” The lady was beyond amused – she loved it! I thanked her kindly for her interest and told her that she was the only person to take note of the tiara so far. She was shocked to learn that I had not received hundreds of compliments on my flashy fashion choice and regaled me with a story about the time she wore two different shoes to work, and just like my experiment now, nobody noticed! “Nobody seems to look at each other nowadays,” she concluded with disappointment. Though I understood where she was coming from, I had a sense that it wasn’t that nobody noticed these quirky style choices, but rather that nobody cared enough to be bothered by them.
And why should they? The tiara on my head was not affecting anyone except for myself. If I wanted to be a princess, who were they to say I can’t? During my travel home, I took a moment to reflect on my fashion choices over the years. After going through my fair share of (undebatably disastrous) phases, I’ve developed a sense of personal style, though it is nothing quite as adventurous or eccentric as it had been when I was younger. The girl who had once rocked pink and purple hair was now feeling nervous to simply walk around in a silly little tiara! I had become so engrossed in my anxieties about appearing standoffish and strange that I nearly forgot my mom’s philosophy: “You should always leave a trail of glitter wherever you go.” While it sounds like a silly piece of advice, the intended message is crystal clear – You should always be your true self and show off your individuality, regardless of what anyone else might think of it. If a tiara is the accessory that best completes your outfit today, throw it on and wear it with your head held high. After all, who says you can’t be a princess?