A love letter to my style

Have you ever called your style extra? I have, half jokingly and half regretfully. Too much shimmer? Extra. Too many patterns? Extra. A maxi dress for brunch? Definitely extra. But somewhere in between growing into myself and outgrowing from the need for validation, I stopped calling myself “extra”. 

Extra is not a bad word. But, the way it's thrown around, it's more like a “she’s coming right here we need to close our eyes” than a compliment. I know it looks “too much” and “attention seeking”, but what if it’s not? It’s expressive, it’s intentional, it's me. What if wearing a dramatic ruffle, a bold pattern, or a fully embellished backless top is simply a way of feeling yourself in your own skin. 

I don’t want to hide parts of me in a black sweat shirt and a pair of baggy blue denims. The outfits I’ve loved have never been “not extra”, They have movement, texture, colour, and my love for it. They remind me of editorial campaigns, paintings, and places that I adore. 

Fashion is an experiment, I don't think women are supposed to dress boring even if life gives them situations to. And, my biggest inspiration is one of my closest friend, let’s call her P. Her outfits are never “not her”. P’s wardrobe is filled with tiny pink dresses, denim co-ords, swimsuits with bold patterns, tweed jackets and she serves every look effortlessly. I want to be her, not a boring teenager. 

Moral of story: I am not saying wearing a sweatshirt and baggy jeans are bad, you can wear it every single day if you think that’s for you. And let's be real, I am not here to pretend that I do not judge people based on their outfits, I do it all the time…. And when I say all the time I mean on an hourly basis. But here's a thing, do not make them feel bad about it, it’s not your job to fix it and for that matter it shouldn’t be fixed, style is personal (unless they ask you for an opinion). If possible, offer a genuine compliment (not fake and absolutely not out of pity). 

In conclusion, I have a fear of being under-dressed.

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