Happy Monday in Wonderland!
As you know, No Pants November has been up and running,
and so this Wonderland will be a little different. I wanted to chat this
morning about personal style and about why I bother putting together “cute”
outfits at all! To me, it’s an important part of my day and I want to express
why that is And let’s start this all with the weekly doodle and quote to keep
in mind, because it’s kinda my style philosophy:
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| Download here |
Pretty deep, right? Let me elaborate.
For me, getting ready in the morning is like playing
dress up. I mean, only for like 5 minutes (because I like to sleep), but regardless,
Kate Spade was pretty en pointe saying, ““Playing dress-up begins at age five
and never truly ends.” For me, putting together a cute outfit is part of my
morning routine. It honestly makes me feel more awake and human at 6:30 in the
morning (thanks, 8 AM’s) to start with a little creativity and color mixing.
And that’s exactly what style is for me—an outlet for
creativity and personality. I was watching a video with one of my
favorite makeup YouTubers JKissa (because I like pretty makeup, okay?!) on
personal style and she commented how color is her method to express internal
traits because of her shyness. For me, it’s much the same. I’m an introvert by
nature—as I’ve seen more and more in my first college semester—and for me,
style is my way of opening up to people a little. While I love meeting new
people, I prefer one-on-one conversations, and if people in a group are
talking, I prefer to listen rather than interject. This means that maybe you
won’t “get to know me” very quickly at a large social event, but I think my
style reveals a lot about the person I am without words.
At some point in my childhood I turned from a “tom-boy”
to a “girly-girl,” hence all the dresses and even a fuzzy sweater or two. But my
girly-ness isn’t exclusively part of my appearance. That girly, feminine side
reflects my personality, because I am sensitive and tend to be vulnerable and
caring, maybe even a little too much. But I love that part of me. I love “momming”
people and caring about them.
I also feel like a lot of times I really am a little
naive and childish. I won’t always outright act like a kid because I do get shy
and fearful of judgement, but a lot of the time I feel like I think like one. I
like to look on the bright side and ignore the bad stuff and, for better or
worse, that is who I am.
I also love mixing colors and patterns, and for me that’s
a portrayal of my desire to be bright and happy. Even if I seem like the girl
who doesn’t say much at first, in a way, my style expresses that side of me
that has a whole lot to say and be joyful about. I express my fun-loving side
through possibly senseless outfits even if I’m not the girl out partying on a
Friday night.
Most importantly though, style is a form of courage and
self-love for me. Like most teenage girls, I went through a lot of years trying
to be like every other girl, and being unhappy when I couldn’t pull it off. It
just wasn’t me. And when I stepped out of my comfort zone at first, wearing
dresses and vintage accessories and even my naturally curly hair, I was scared.
I was worried of judgement until I learned that my friends honestly didn’t care
if I experimented a little unconventionally with my clothes. The joy I felt in
being myself this way was addicting, and even though some of those 9th
and 10th grade outfits were not quite all together, I loved that I
got to keep experimenting with clothes until I could find something that was
all my own. I was even nominated for the “Miss Teen Vogue” band superlative a
few times and it really surprised me. Honestly I was only dressing for myself, as you should, and people liked my weird
style anyway!
I think that’s all why now, in a sea of comfy t-shirts
and tennis shoes, I decide to wear a dress and heeled booties. Style gives me
confidence. I am actually more likely to be comfortable wearing what I want to
rather than what’s conventional. I’m not gonna lie, college has been a little
challenging at times being an introvert, but wearing what I want and not caring
what anyone thinks is my form of bravery. It’s my way of expressing myself even
if you’ve never heard me say a word.
Not to say that if you do dress in conventional or comfy ways
you are unoriginal! You may have the hilarious personality, some crazy talents,
intelligence, kindness, classiness, strange quirks, glorious imperfections, and
any number of ways to express those things unique to you! And I think that’s
amazing! Self-expression is so powerful, and for me style is so much more than
putting on clothes. It’s part of those things that make me individual that I may
not tell you right off the bat. It’s my way of saying “this is me” without
saying a word, because maybe, sometimes, I’m too shy to do so.
See, you do you, babe. My boy and older sis tell me it
all the time, and I think it’s wonderful. It’s honestly some of the best advice
I’ve ever gotten when I start worrying about what I “should do” or what people
will think. For me, “doing me” starts with how I get up and get dressed every
day, and ends with the big (and possibly foolish) future I sometimes daydream
about. But I’m happy to be a dress-wearing, pattern-loving, color-coordinating,
day-dreaming fool. You should be too. Wear what you want, be crazy if you want
to, and let your personality, interests, and bravery shine!
Stay lovely,
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