Style can be your confidence

What does style mean to you? In my experience, it has always been a piece of clothing that is necessary to clothe yourself. I didn't think much of it in the past and thought that no one really noticed it. Now, I've come to the realization that there is more to it than I have originally thought, and that everyone does see it.

Growing up, the way I dressed changed many times, but it was always in a way that never attracted notice before. I had usually wore something that was comfortable, and because I am a girl, I had been told to cover up. Jeans and jacket was my go-to. I had no idea that I could be offered many more options before.

The one time I had someone notice something different was when I changed was my hair and decided to wear it differently one day and someone I knew complimented it. This didn't happen often because everything I had worn was common and made me blend in with the crowd. That was how my personality was at the time too, I wanted to fit in and not stand out. This was my first step into discovering the connection to how we dress and who we are.

Then I joined cross country in college and the way I dressed changed dramatically. The person I was becoming became stronger and more determined to find a path in life. I began to appear in more athletic clothes and wanted to feel comfortable, free, and easy. I don't think that I notice the relation with me and my style much then because I was always too busy worrying about school.

I am now at age 26, finished with college and in an entirely different lifestyle than I thought I would ever be in. I started working in retail about a year ago, and that was the very turning point I needed to finally see how style actually does have an important effect on myself and in all the different versions of me that there are.

What I wear now represents my inner personality in a certain way, and each outfit I decided to wear reflects the old and new parts of me. I tried new things, found some new dislikes and likes, and now I feel the most comfortable in my own skin than I have ever been before. I think what we don't realize is that style can have an impact on your mental health as well.

I don't mean that it will instantly make you feel better or worse, but it is one small factor we don't usually take into account. There are some people who discovered that shopping makes them happier, but I think when we find something that matches who we think we are, it is the true focal point to enjoying the experience.

I have fully taken advantage of my work place by being able to see all the different types of styles they have to offer and trying them for myself. Each one much different than the last, and yet it is all still summing up who I am. Maybe it was how I felt that day, or maybe it will show that I ran out of clean pants, so I had to substitute with a dress.

No matter what I try now, I know that I will keep evolving in both terms of a person and what I wear. I'm finally getting to know the real me and enjoying every moment of it. The peak of confidence, where you stop caring what others think and surround yourself with only positivity starts when you try something new, even if it just a simple hair change.