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One of the most important things you can do in life is to figure out who you really are, and do everything you can to become the best possible you. Part of that is developing your own personal sense of style. It may not seem important, but how you dress is a reflection of who you are.
Penelope from Criminal minds is a great example of someone who has their own sense of style. She dresses in some crazy stuff, and her glasses always match her outfit. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks of how she looks, it’s an extension of her personality. Unfortunately, most people base what they wear on what’s “in”, “trendy”, or what everyone else is wearing. Many even claim they’re trying to be unique, but when you’re wearing what everyone else is wearing, you’re not being unique.
Personal style should be an extension of your personality, so you should wear what makes you feel good. If you want to wear high-heels with shorts, do it! If you want to wear a suit jacket and tie with skinny jeans, do it! Buy and wear what ever makes you feel attractive and confident. The hardest part in all of that is getting over the judgements that other people will throw at you. Someone’s going to have something nasty to say about the way you’re dressed. You need to be able to let that go.
You’re never going to be able to make everyone happy with your clothes, personality or anything else. Why even bother trying? You need to be happy with yourself. Other people’s opinions are their problem, not yours. Embrace and live that mentality. You have no reason to care what other people think about you. Does making them happy really make you happy? or are you just trying to save yourself some hassle by doing what they want and shutting them up? That is not being true to yourself, and eventually it’s going to lead to misery and resentment.
Developing your personal style may take some time. First of all, you need to decide what you’re comfortable in. You may love a piece of clothing, but if it’s not comfortable, it’s probably not worth it. Then you need to decide what reflects your personality. The more eclectic you are the more eclectic your wardrobe will be, and that’s fine! You can even change your style every day based on your mood. The rule is, there are no rules!
You need to give up ideas like “you can’t wear white after labor day”, “nobody wears leggings anymore”, “men don’t wear patterns like that”, and all the other crap that tries to make you conform to other people’s standards. It doesn’t matter if what you like is “so last season”. And never be afraid or ashamed to shop in thrift stores. You can find some of the most amazing stuff there, and save yourself a lot of money. Also, never, ever, ever buy fashion magazines or watch fashion shows. Unless you’re looking for inspiration for your own personal designs these things will suck you back into the conformity crew.
Pink Skull Style – Available at Zazzle
If you’re not sure what your style is, try to start off thinking about what you don’t like. Once you’ve eliminated some things, it gets easier. You can also just go to the stores and start looking at things and trying things on. Play around until you find things that make you smile. When you look in the mirror and love what you see, you’ve got it right. Even if you end up looking like Pippi Longstocking or Edward Scissorhands, if it makes you smile, go with it. If people say negative things to you, just smile, tell them you love how you look, and move on. (Or if you’re in a bad mood you can do what I’ve done: Tell them if they don’t like what you’re wearing, they’re welcome to buy you a wardrobe of things they do like. Shuts ’em up every time!)
Oh, and don’t forget to bring your personal style into your living space. Whether you just have a room or a place of your own, bring your style with you. The more of your personality you have around you, the happier you’ll be.
