The other day, my best friend told me ‘if there’s anyone who will wear anything and not care what people may think, it’s you’. When she said that, I couldn’t help but smile and think of the little girl who grew up in one of New Jersey’s most conservative towns and what she would think if she saw herself, 10 years later, contemplating buying 5-inch heels that looked straight out of a 70’s catalog. They were $2.50. I bought them. I thought the same thing when I got home that day and shuffled through my thrift haul; cheetah print skirt, knitted dress, rings that could absolutely double as self-defense devices because of how chunky they were, and earrings that would put my grandmother’s jewelry from the 50’s to shame. Once again, I laughed and thought of the horrified look on 10 year old me’s face if she saw this right now.
It didn’t take me long to realize, however, that growing up, this was always the way I dreamed of dressing. Like I mentioned earlier, I grew up in a fairly conservative town where dressing outside the status quo landed you weird stares and whispers in the hallway. If you went to high school with me, sorry but you know it’s accurate. In addition to this, the spiritual crystals that decorate most of my jewelry would’ve definitely landed me in my Christian camp’s spiritual counseling office for witchcraft. I’ll be the first to admit, I was not exempt from throwing the same judgemental glances I get now. To the woman at International Mall who stared at me the entire time I walked by her table, this one’s for you. It’s time to grow up.
While not everyone’s style is the same, and that’s obvious, it’s time to move past the judgemental once-over glances when you see someone dress different than you, it’s time to stop judging girls for following trends, and it’s time to embrace the style you’ve always wanted to try. Gaining enough confidence to finally wear things I felt good in took twenty years. Honestly, there are still styles I want to try that I’m too scared to, and I dream of getting to that point eventually.
Finally, dress however the hell you want. Life is too short to ignore those cool heels in exchange for shoes more socially-acceptable, or to care if the annoying ‘just to play devil’s advocate’ kid in your government class thinks cheetah print is ‘tacky’, and especially to look in the mirror and not think you look sick as hell. Remember, I’m your biggest hype man.