individuality |

Oooouut of the box!

To all those people who sang along to that title with me, I applaud you. You have my utmost respect. Go ‘90s kids.

I have talked with so many individuals about their individuality.

Ha.

Especially in fashion, people feel like they have a very particular sense of “style”. They feel the need to label themselves as something: classic, bohemian, minimalistic, “vintage,” etc. I’ve constantly felt the need to label myself fashion-wise to one type of style so that I can really embody it and make it my own.

You know when people point at a random object and exclaimed a name? I wanted to be that girl. “See that painting of a French café? SO ASHLEY!” “Oh my god, that black romper is so Ashley.”

Is that ridiculous? It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? I’m acting like the female version of Schmidt from New Girl. I know.

BUT, in my defense, I feel like everyone wants that. They want their own little sense of self embodied in the physical world. Or the metaphysical…if you’re into that. People claim it in everything. My friend claims it in his writing style. I claim it in instagram photos of my lunch buddies with their heads cut off fashion.

But after pondering what kind of person I am and how I can express that in my clothing and spending hours anxiously trying to answer daunting questions like “who am I?” and “is watching this many Josh Peck vine videos unhealthy?” and “am I a Mary-Kate or an Ashley?” I’ve come up with a simple solution found in a simple mantra:

Get out of the box. Get out of the box.

To those who like the box and thinks it’s warm and cozy and smells like Chanel Gardénia, by all means, stay in that box and #werkit.

But for all those out there that want to wear a leather jacket and lace up studded boots one day and high waisted floral trousers with a turban the next, do it! Take a stand and dress for yourself. Be bold and daring and stop caring if other people think that wearing a turban is weird.

I know that it’s a scary thought, but I promise you that when you finally start dressing for yourself instead of others, you start gain more confidence in the idea.

Isn’t that why we love fashion anyway? Because we have the freedom to dress how we choose and create something that is beautiful and unique. Nobody can wear something the way you wear it. We are like our fingertips, one of a kind. Though we might share the same anatomy, the things that make us up are so different.There are entire shows and magazine articles dedicated to “Who Wore It Better?” because even if you wear the same dress as someone else, you’re adding that original touch to it from your personality that no one can replicate.

We are the canvas.

Why not use every color in your crayon box?