Being a 21-year-old senior in college, it is no secret that stress will catch up to me way more than I’d like to admit. In the midst of all the assignments, quizzes, and readings I am also learning and failing my way into adulthood. Stress is inevitable in our lives but how we manage to cope with them is a strong factor in how we get out of those hard moments. The outlet that has helped me the most when dealing with stressful times is my love for fashion.

My love for fashion has always been there but it really took off when covid hit. It was the second semester of my freshman year that my world got flipped upside down. I do not need to tell you all how covid impacted the world but as a freshman, I was still trying to process that I was in college and the expectations that that brings this news was terrifying. Thoughts of isolation, confusion, and anxiety were really the only type of thoughts I had. How was I supposed to navigate through all of this to focus on schoolwork when the world was being overtaken by fear??? 

I did not like how I was letting these huge, understandably scary events make me feel, so I needed to make a change. Being at home every day all day because of Covid restrictions I had to get creative with how to spend intentional time with myself. Social media was the first step of me figuring it all out, I would spend hours scrolling or watching YouTube videos (real intentional I know… just wait) and I was struck by inspiration. I followed many photographers and fashion content creators and realized I could be creating alongside them instead of just being in awe of what they would produce. So, I began creating inspiration boards on Pinterest of things that inspired me and fueled me to want to create, after this I was ready to begin.

By no means am I a photographer, I only had my iPhone camera to shoot on but I was determined to make it work. I had my Inspo. pictures next to me, I put together a look, pushed my bed to the corner of my room, set up a bedsheet for a background with thumbtacks, and began. After my first self-produced photoshoot was done, I felt euphoric, like I had cracked some insane code to discover joy. I continued to create iPhone photoshoots every free chance I had (My parents can vow for me that it was basically every day). At that moment, it clicked for me, this is what makes me feel alive and what made me feel most myself in a time of unknown. Instead of dreading so much alone time away from school and my friends, I had the opposite experience, I loved learning how to fully be with myself and to enjoy those moments. Now, I will be honest with you, it took a lot of trial and error of figuring out how to implement change but I was determined to use this time to channel into myself and question who I wanted to be. 

Furthermore, Fashion is a form of self-expression. In an article called Sustainable Fashion and Self Expression, the author says “A personal ritual of creating ourselves each day through our clothes” (Eclectic, 2021). For me, this is such a mantra, getting to have at least one thing that reflects who I am in my entirety or parts through how I present myself to the world is grounding when life can be a rollercoaster of emotions.

 I know it seems a bit dramatic putting so much weight into clothing, but also why not? We are allowed to like what we like and express ourselves through whatever means that makes us feel most ourselves. “Clothing is not only a great way to express yourself, but researchers suggest the types of clothing we wear can affect our behaviors as well as our confidence. By wearing clothes we love, we feel confident in ourselves…” (Brighterkind, 2022). 

I am aware that societal expectations and pressures on how to look or what trends to follow can be overwhelming. It is not an easy thing to have to navigate through, I still have moments where I am embarrassed to dress the way I want in fear of others’ opinions. But I have to wrestle with that insecurity because wearing what I want surpasses the feeling of judgment I may receive from others. 

All in all, fashion may be your thing or it might not be, and that in itself is okay (seriously, I rock my Pj’s majority of the time). For me, it has been a stress reliever, and a moment in my day I can create something for myself. Whatever your thing may be, step into that confidence and be unapologetically yourself. The world is a melting pot of ever-changing opinions and expectations so appreciate yourself and make time for the things that make you feel most alive don’t be afraid to show the world exactly who you are. 

Sources

Brighterkind. (2022, September 2). Self-expression through fashion. brighterkind. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.brighterkind.com/news/blog/self-expression-through-fashion 

Eclectic, T. (2021, February 22). Sustainable fashion and Self Expression. Medium. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://medium.com/that-culture-lifestyle-vibe/sustainable-fashion-and-self-expression-a91e0ebe1204