Career Day at School- I’m a Fashionista The Xavierite
Fashion has and always will be a huge part of my life. It helps me get lost in my creativity and gives me the freedom to dress how I feel.
It’s made me feel more connected to my identity and to people who share the same passion.
My favorite part about fashion is that it’s so versatile and there’s no “right way” of doing it. I don’t have to set my mind on one kind of style, I can dive into all of them.
Your gender or sexuality doesn’t define what you have to wear either. There is a joy that can be found in sharing to others what you find most visually appealing.
I’m able to show my favorite color combinations, patterns, textures and accessories through clothes.
My preferences and interests for clothes have always fluctuated. It’s in close relationship with my identity so it makes sense to change as I’m figuring out who I am.
When I was little, my mother dressed me in whatever felt appropriate for a four year old. I didn’t have much of a say in the color of jeans she put me in or the type of sneaker.
Not to say I didn’t like it, I don’t remember having any arguments against the princess themed t-shirts. Neither did I argue against the color coordinated outfits with my sisters.
It wasn’t until I received my first pair of converse, that I truly fell in love with an article of clothing. These converse were a lilac purple covered with organic shapes and squiggles.
It was the first time I felt more inclined to wear something I owned. I preferred wearing them over anything else, then it started my love for shoes.
I was so conditioned to let my mom choose what I wore, but as I grew those choices were up to me. That’s when I started to develop an identity of my own.
At a certain point I felt grouped together with my two other sisters, feeling like I had no true quality to make me feel like my own person. That’s what made clothing so important to me.
It gave me a chance to slowly make an identity for myself, that I was also barely discovering. I didn’t know how else to express it yet.
It can be confusing to know exactly who you are, clothing is just one of those things that doesn’t have to be consistent. It can change day to day, depending on how you feel.
I was constantly in discount stores like Justice or Children’s Place, buying the most colorful pieces that called me. I enjoyed the bit of independence that came with choosing an outfit.
There was only so much freedom I had at a small age. Parents can view it as a small decision, but as a kid it felt powerful.
Unfortunately, during elementary and middle school I had a uniform. So, it restricted any chance I had in branching out stylistically during school. But, I had freedom in my shoe choices.
Each school year I found the most fun in shoe shopping because it’s what made me feel the most confident and free. During a time where I felt I had once again been put in a box, there was a place I found creativity.
I took every chance I had to wear glitter kicks, studded light up shoes, and hightop converse. It always started a conversation on the first day of school, helping me make friends.
I would receive compliments or give compliments to people who were wearing shoes that I admired. Even being shy, I felt most confident talking to people when it came to fashion.
To this day I’m constantly meeting new people who are as passionate as me and have the same views about what fashion does for them.
It empowers people and lets them walk around as whoever they want to be. There are no rules or guidelines in identity and you can express that through clothes!