I remember walking on campus with my friend and just chatting away when something she said to me really clicked in my head: she told me that she admired how I dressed however I wanted. To be honest, I don’t really think anything of my outfits each day, I just wear what feels right.
Thinking deeper on it, I realized how some people would love to wear certain outfits but are too frightened by them. Clothes can often be intimidating given the way that society has conditioned us to think about style. I’m proud to see fashion starting to break away from the barriers of what’s deemed presentable. If I’d like to wear an oversized tee and shorts, that’s entirely cute and acceptable. If I’d like to dress up one day and wear my best casual dress, that’s also acceptable. I now view fashion as a powerful statement, even if it doesn’t seem that way all the time. In my life, there were moments where I have been perceived in a certain way simply because of my style. My friend’s roommate told him that I must have “come from money,” because I dress nice all of the time. Well, let me tell you one thing, it’s called ballin’ on a budget. Judgments based on appearance are never truly accurate, and no one should ever be subjected to a defining category because of it. There’s so much more to you than what is shown on the surface. I’ve learned to feel powerful with my choice in outfits. It boosts my confidence in who I am and why I love wearing what I do. During a different period in my life, oversized clothing may not have been the most “presentable” thing to wear to school. But now, times are changing, and it’s become my go-to outfit for those moments when I want to rock a cute and comfortable fit.
Remember, you decide what you want to wear and how you feel in it. You should feel confident in the outfits that you love. Want to try something new? Go for it! There’s a world of style out there, just waiting for you to find and discover more of the fashion that you love.
All images provided by the author.