If you don’t really know what you’re doing with your personal style, trends can seem do be somewhat helpful. They can give you a good starting point, or point you in the direction of something you’ll love but never would have thought of. However, trends can be detrimental to your sense of personal style, sense of self, and self confidence.
This is the beginning
When I was growing up, I never quite fit in. I’ve always been a bit odd and quirky. Other girls were starting to dress more “grown up,” and I was still dressing hyper-girly with lots of pink and glitter. I eventually tried (and failed) to dress like the popular girls. Did I pull it off? No. Did I become more popular? Hell no.
High school should have been a new start, but I of course fell back into the same cycle. I made new friends, and they were awesome, pretty, and trendy. Of course I wanted to be like them. When I was out of uniform, I wore a lot of super tight flare jeans and tight tank tops. I was very insecure about my body, so I always layered the tanks (not cute). Remember the stretchy sequined belts that girls wore around their hips, I so desperately wanted to be part of that trend that I wove 2-3 of those belt together for extra sparkle. Very not cute.
When I grow up
College was another opportunity for a fresh start. I felt like such a grownup. I eventually joined a co-ed fraternity, and I tried to fall into super sexy college girl trends. Did I look awesome this time? Sure. Did I feel like me? Not at all.
I eventually gained a bunch of weight, moved to another state, and fell into a pretty deep depression. I was a slave to a trend, but my body type no long fit in with it. I didn’t know what to do, or how to dress my new figure, and it showed. I lived in yoga pants, tees, and baggy hoodies for a couple of years.
Turn and face the strange changes
Moving to the South marked an actual fresh start for me. Multiple colleges, majors, and out of state moves meant that I was a little older than most of my classmates, so I didn’t feel the need to fit in with them. I was tired of being sad all the time, so I started thinking about what made me feel good.
Letting go of trends and curating your personal style doesn’t happen overnight. It take a lot of trial and error, research, and experimentation. There will be anger and frustration. There will be tears. Change is never an easy thing. However, it will all be worth it.