Why You Shouldn’t Be Scared Of Standing Out

February 1, 2017February 1, 2017 / Absolutely Olivia

I like to consider myself someone who has good self-esteem and always stays true to who I am and what I aspire to be. All of these things are quite true, for the most part, but it was a saying that really put things into perspective for me. It goes:

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right— for you’ll be criticized anyway.”

Although this has helped me make decisions, me being a fashion/clothing-obsessed girl, this quote has really resonated with me whenever I go shopping. I understand this may not be going in the direction you thought, but bear with me and keep reading for the main points are made at the end!

I whole-heartedly believe fashion is one of the highest forms of self-expression, so I try to wear and find pieces that are different than what others are wearing. But when I really sat back and thought about it, I realized that maybe I had been holding back in fear of what others would think if I showed up wearing something too out of the ordinary. Even if I tried on an item I really loved but was different than my normal attire, 9 out of 10 times I would put the item back on its hanger and return it to the rack.

My happy self! (Check out this outfit HERE)

It was not until about a month ago, that I went out on a limb and bought something totally different (at least for me) from Forever 21. A metallic silver cropped hoodie. I knew I had to have it and rushed into the dressing room to throw it on and check it out. I immediately loved it, but as per usual the doubts poured in. Is it too flashy? Too “out there”? Too extraterrestrial? Just too much in general?

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THE SILVER HOODIE

Except this time, the above quote ran through my head and I quickly pushed aside the negative thoughts and bought the silver hoodie. It then sat in my closet for a few weeks because I had no idea how or what to pair it with and over that time I began to regret my decision to buy it.

Eventually, I pulled it out and tried it on with different bottoms to see how it looked. Since, the hoodie was such a statement piece it went best with plain and simple dark wash jeans. Also, trying it on again made me realize why I loved the piece in the first place, so it really urged me to wear it out and about. I wore the silver hoodie to a few places besides school at first, so I became more comfortable in it.

Then came the day. I walked into school, nervous, with my arms crossed over my chest. Looking back, I honestly have no idea why I was so worried; it’s not like I had never worn anything weird and different to school before. I think it was because the silver hoodie screamed ‘LOOK AT ME’ because it was extremely shiny! There were tons of stares and people said things like, “Bold fashion choice,” and “Why did you wear that?” A lot just simply said, “Wow.” And of course, I got the sarcastic comment of, “You look like a bike reflector,” many times. But surprisingly to me, most liked it and gave compliments!

be-you-blog

At the end of the day, I was glad I had worn it, because wearing the hoodie made me realize that it doesn’t matter what I wear if I like the clothing and feel comfortable. Despite everything, people are always going to judge and try to take down your outfits and actions. Therefore, you might as well… “Do what you feel in your heart to be right—for you’ll be criticized anyway.”

💜Love, Olivia