Miuccia Prada once said, “What you wear today is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is an instant language.” As a teenage girl particularly interested in fashion, it can be easy for me to judge one quickly based on their outfit. Appearances are so vital in order to make a good impression in this day and age, so I often rely on what I wear to improve the physical impression I leave on others. When I know I’m dressed in a great outfit, I know I’m ready to face the day. If something in my outfit is off, it bothers me all day, and I feel extremely self-conscious. Through my personal style I am able to reveal a part of me that I am unable to reveal through words.

There are many details of fashion that I find so fascinating and beautiful, like one would find in a work of art. When I’m not busy, I occasionally spend hours sprawled out on my bed, surfing the Internet, and crying because I’m thousands of miles away from New York Fashion Week. Fashion is an honest passion that I hold, although I would never indulge in it as a career. I see fashion as an upgrader to my style, improving it and adjusting it as the years go on. To describe my style, I would say that it’s a mix of indie, casual grunge, and minimal street-wear. It’s honestly hard to describe it, as I incorporate various aspects of a plethora of different fashion styles. Yves Saint Laurent once stated, “Fashion fades, style is eternal.” I follow this statement religiously. I’m always updated with the latest fashion trends, but my style stays somewhat the same. For example, I’ve always had an affinity for loose tees with weird graphics. Within the past year, I gained an obsession with beanies and black and white ensembles. Although there are various aspects of fashion that I fall in and out of love with, my style is always been there for me. My style in fashion is one of the few areas where I am extremely confident. I’m not saying that my style is the best that’s out there, but I’m saying that I’ve learned to accept the style that I dress. It has taken years for me to be this comfortable with my clothes.

My parents are not especially fashionable, nor do they understand my interest in fashion. My mom understands the basic fundamentals of body-flattering forms, and she has simple knowledge on the more famous brands and the importance of good quality items. However, her ability to style an outfit appropriate for a teenage girl who cares tremendously for her appearance is nearly nonexistent. Growing up, I always detested my mother’s knack of forcing white stockings and horrific dresses onto my body. Sure, they were sweet and feminine, but sweet lord, were they hideous. I always hated wearing them, and I felt like a lump of bird poop wearing limp rags that never should’ve been designed. I never told her of my hatred, though. I hated the thought of disappointing my mother. As I got older, I eventually gained confidence in telling my mother what type of clothes I was interested in. I realized that it was okay if my mom didn’t necessarily love what I was wearing, as long as it was modest and well put-together. Gradually, I started shopping solely for what I liked, keeping my mother’s modest beliefs in mind. Fashion influenced me to gain confidence to stand up for myself-and my suffering closet.

My love for fashion has grown insanely since my junior high years. Back then, I knew I had a style that I liked. My sister, however, decided that I should dress as trendy as possible, which meant wearing Aeropostale, Hollister, and Abercrombie, like the rest of the kids my age. I’ve always hated those stores. It just never seemed worth it to buy a ugly, poor-quality t-shirt for $20 with “HOLLISTER” printed down the front (please do not feel offended). “Get something more fitted,” she’d say. I liked to wear large and loose t-shirts that could comfortable hang around my body without looking trashy. I ended up wearing mostly Hollister during seventh grade due to my sister’s intimidating opinions, which I hate to admit. Why couldn’t I just wear what I wanted? I mean, I always felt extremely uncomfortable because I didn’t like what I was wearing. Shouldn’t I have ignored what others said and dressed how I wanted to? It should’ve been easy, except I had no idea where to start. All my life, I had been following in my sister’s footsteps, listening to my mom’s directions, and neglecting what I wanted to do.

I’ve taken various steps in putting my fashion choices into my own hands. I’ve found multiple outlets on the Internet to express my fashion style such as Polyvore, Pinterest, and Tumblr in the past couple years. Along with these outlets, I have been frequenting fashion blogs and websites on a daily basis (it’s a serious addiction), as the websites serve as great inspirations towards my style. Since first discovering these websites and blogs, my knowledge and viewpoint on fashion has matured tremendously. I’ve learned to trust my own style and what I think is right, rather what my sister or mother believes is right. My personal style has also matured and become more experimental. I’m only sixteen years old, yet I can easily say that my fashion choices are some of my wiser choices. The way I spend money on clothes and shoes is specific to the point that I know exactly what I will purchase when I walk into the mall.

I’ve come a long way since my white stocking days. I now fully understand what style of clothing I like dress in, and how to style it. I now understand that I’m most comfortable when I’m wearing an outfit that I like, an outfit that I would look at and think, “I wish I had that.” I’ve become comfortable with my fashion choices. I’ve learned how to use fashion to my advantage and to leave a better impression on others through my fashion choices.