This week, I decided to wear only outfits that 1. I have always wanted to wear or 2. are outside of my comfort zone. You know, those pieces that stay in the back of the closet that you eye every day but never wear.
After watching StyleLikeU videos (see my last post) it made me think about style. Who is the judge of what is "flattering" for my body type? Why do I let the way I look in one outfit determine how I feel about myself that day? I struggle with self-esteem issues and recently had a revelation. Watching these videos as well as other YouTubers like LearningToBeFearless, whose mission it is to make everyone feel beautiful and worthy, helped me finally decide to love myself once and for all and quit wasting my precious time here in this body of mine by putting it down. Mainly, I started listening to what God was trying to tell me all along: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14).
It's time that we start loving ourselves.
It's time that we start loving ourselves.
This experiment, if you will, is to reverse all the garbage society and media fill my mind with and start seeing myself as a beautiful individual, not a slave to the "perfect size." I want to remove any boundaries I've put on myself, starting with how I dress. If I really just don't like the outfit then that is another thing, but if it's something I'm not wearing because I feel self-conscious due to the society we live in, I am going to wear it. I think if you like it, you should rock it. I mean, I'm not going to wear ridiculously immodest clothing, I just want to quit holding myself back and giving into the idea that my body is wrong because I don't look like other girls in high-waisted shorts. On the other hand, I do agree with dressing for your body. No matter what shape or size you are, there are certain styles that look amazing on each and every body, but don't let that keep you from feeling beautiful in something else.
Has this rant made sense?
Just on the first day, I already felt more comfortable in my body. Wearing something I would not normally wear but have always wanted to felt liberating. I felt confident and that was amazing.
Here are the outfits and my thoughts!
Here are the outfits and my thoughts!
MONDAY:
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| Wearing this was so unlike me. A shirt that could at times show a little sliver of my stomach, hold the presses. But, I truly felt confident. Not because of the clothes or how I looked, but because I was wearing something I used to tell myself I couldn't. |
TUESDAY:
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| I didn't intend to use the same backdrops, but I really liked this wall of leaves. Anywho, I have barely worn this romper in the 4? years that I have had it. Maybe three times. Definitely not an outfit I feel comfortable in. I guess I am not a big fan of things that button up the front. Too much risk of an embarrassing situation. I'm glad I wore this and tried something different (especially since it was so dang hot!). I don't know when I will ever wear it again. It was comfortable, but I felt like I was always tugging at the buttons. Overall, I felt cute but not comfy. WEDNESDAY: 
I know, high-waisted shorts again? The reason I added these into the challenge is because I tucked a shirt in instead of having a flowy shirt cover my stomach. I have to admit I felt quite self-conscious most of the day. Eventually I decided that I looked just fine and stopped caring. This is about stretching my comfort zone and building confidence. Check and check. I can also feel myself getting more confident while taking the pictures.
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THURSDAY:
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| I love this shirt, but I never wear it because I always feel self-conscious with the low rise shorts since the shirt is a little cropped. Today, I didn't care and it felt good not to care. |
FRIDAY:
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| Friday was my one year anniversary with my boyfriend. He took me to the zoo, so I wanted to dress as to avoid a heat stroke in the 90° weather. We were also going to a concert so I wanted to look somewhat fashionable but most of all comfortable to see all the little (and not so little) animals. This top was shorter than I thought it was going to be judging by the picture online, but you couldn't really tell with the high-waisted shorts. I felt very 90's. Basically, I never thought I would ever wear something like this that showed my stomach. But let me tell you, I felt so confident all day.
I'm so surprised by the results of this challenge. I mean, I hoped it would work but I didn't know on what level. This week, I have taken some major steps in self love. I love my body and I want to take care of it, not hate it and tell it it's not good enough. I didn't start out thinking the most important thing is to look cute everyday, and I don't think that now. The point to all this wasn't about the clothes. It was about not limiting yourself because you think you're too big or too skinny or not pretty enough. A dress size does not equal levels of beauty. You have to wear clothes every day. It's a fact of life. So wear things that make you feel beautiful. And let yourself feel beautiful in them. Do buy things that flatter your perfectly unique body, but don't give in to society by telling yourself you look bad in shorts and a t-shirt because you don't look like the mannequin you saw it on.
You. Are. Beautiful. ♡
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