Gogo Boots are Punk Rock!: Staying Confident with a Style Switch Up

Whether you’re going to college five minutes or 5,000 miles from home, college feels like a time to start fresh—especially in your fashion choices. I wore uniforms from kindergarten all the way through high school, so when I was getting ready for college, I was bursting with outfit ideas. But with all that freedom came the question: What vibe do I want to give off? A preppy, put-together academic like Blair Waldorf? A tough girl with some ‘90s grunge style like Kat Stratford? Or should I soften my look like Ariana Grande? Could I pull off a more elegant, vintage aesthetic like Mina Le? Or should I wear oversize jerseys and baggy pants like SZA? Wait, what if I also like Luna Lovegood’s whimsical style? 

What if I told you, you don’t have to choose? I, too, thought that I had to pick one of these styles and stick with it until I graduated. I was scared people would be weirded out if I dressed coquette one week and then punk the next. Once I learned these three things, I have been confidently changing my style every. day. 

1. Limiting Yourself is Worse

If the clothes we choose to wear represent who we are, then limiting ourselves to just one style would be like limiting ourselves to just one emotion. I don’t know about you, but what I’m wearing affects how I feel. Some days I don’t feel as bright as my bedazzled baby tees, and some days I don’t feel as biting as my spikey hairclips. Forcing myself to wear something I’m not feeling is draining. It makes me feel like I’m wearing a costume rather than expressing myself. Remember, you shouldn’t be changing your style to attract a certain type of people. Even if it works, they’re only getting to know one side of you, and that’s just not how humans are made. The right people want all of you. Your gogo boot days and your baggy sweatshirt days. 

2. People Do Care, But Not in the Way You Think 

The big fear in changing your style is being judged. I was scared people would think I was weird if I wore heels to class or a matching set to move-in day. I could not have been more wrong. The rising popularity of Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Doechii has shown people are craving boldness. Everywhere from Instagram to the Whole Foods check out is filled with palatable, safe outfits. These singers’ creative outfits, eccentric makeup, and big hair are a refreshing contrast to this. But you don’t actually need to be a Grammy award winner to elicit the same reaction from others (and most importantly, yourself.) One of my favorite outfits is a ‘70s-esque lime green dress paired with white gogo boots. Without fail, I will average about three compliments on any part of the outfit every time I wear it, whether it’s to class, CVS, or the dining hall. Sure, the outfit is part of the reason why, but I think it’s also the confidence the outfit itself gives me. I see the bold colors in the mirror and I get excited. I feel beautiful. I feel myself. I carry that excitement and it elevates my whole look. If I nervously hunched over, I doubt anyone would say a thing to me. Yet, it’s still the same outfit. It’s not just the outfit that people admire about you; it’s the unabashed self-expression. Your confidence and creativity can inspire others. (Trust me, I know—I told a girl how I did my red eyeliner and I saw her wearing it a few days later.) And it can also inspire you to keep expressing yourself beyond your fashion style. 

3. Confidence Carries Over Into Everything 

It should come as no surprise that not everyone is going to like your outfit. But I’ve found that the more you push your fashion limits, the less you care what others think. It sounds crazy, I know, but the consistent joys of seeing an outfit come together outweigh the glances or snickers. Which, I would like to note, may not even be for you. We may be the center of our own world, but we aren’t in everyone else’s. Even if they are judging,so what? Seriously. I asked myself: OK, what will happen if they don’t like my outfit? If it’s a stranger on the street: nothing. If it’s someone I know, then they have shown me we don’t match well. Think of this mentality like spring cleaning. It’s hard for everyone to get rid of familiar clothes, familiar insecurities, but once you do, you can focus on what really brings you joy. And it can also inspire you to keep expressing yourself beyond your fashion style. Whether it’s that gaudy Juicy Couture bag that’s been hiding in the back of your closet or the clever jokes you’ve been keeping in the back of your mind, showing off both of those with confidence is the look of the year. 

• #fashion advice
• college
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