I started to use fashion as a way to express myself in high school, but I would say my style really evolved when I started college. I used to have the mentality that dressing safe would make me more confident. Although I felt that I looked good, I knew that I could push myself out of my comfort zone. Dressing boldly was a way for me to express my overall introverted personality, and here is why you should give it a try.
Throughout my life I was always the shy one. I was often overshadowed by friends who had more bubbly personalities. I was the girl in high school who would throw on a tee-shirt, jeans, and my tennis shoes and run out the door. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I felt that I needed to find ways to express myself. As I got a little older, I would wear a blouse or a dress and that was my way of branching out. I would look in catalogues and see bright clothing or pieces that would draw the attention of an audience and that terrified me. I had always loved fashion but was hesitant to try new styles that could be considered “bolder”. Worrying what other people think of me is one of my biggest downfalls and it is one of the reasons I found dressing to stand out so challenging. However, as I expanded my horizons, I realized that I wasn’t dressing for other people, I was dressing for myself. Trying styles with large sleeves, bold patterns, or quirky pieces that nobody else had started to become my comfort zone. I started to reach for wide jeans, velvet jackets, and bright prints. It took quite literally not caring what other people thought of me to grow in my fashion taste. Before, I would often change if an outfit made me uncomfortable in some way, however, I found that if I actually wore these outfits, I felt more confident, put together, and ready for any situation that I could be put in.
It may be cheesy but deciding to dress for myself was one of the ways I gained confidence as I moved into my adult years. Being less bold in my personality gave me an outlet to be bolder in my fashion taste. Whatever situation you might be in, don’t settle for what is normal or accepted. Buy the shirt that your friend may think looks weird on the rack but makes you feel incredible. Life is too short to be concerned with how you are perceived by everyone else. Every person has a comfort zone and there is no harm in pushing yourself out of it. Wear the pieces that make you feel the most like yourself. Be bold in your life and in your fashion and it just may pay off in the end!
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