I guess I never really considered myself one of those “girly” girls. From as long as I can remember I always wanted to be just like my brother. I mean in every way possible. Haircut, sweet dinosaur light up sneakers, and awesome power ranger halloween costumes. It wasn’t until about the third grade that I became interested in what I was wearing to school. I started experimenting with my usual bob hair cut with bangs going right across my forehead; (come on 90’s girls you know what I’m talkin about). Anyway, I started to beg my mom for a haircut. That is when I realized that what I was wearing, how I was presenting myself, and how I looked affected my mood. When I actually put thought into my clothing and tried new things, I felt rebellious. Almost as if I just took way to much candy from the candy jar on the table behind my moms back. I felt this sensation inside me that has been suppressed for so long. I actually tried wearing other colours then blue, black, grey, and camo (my favs).

I will never forget walking into my class in third grade in a bright green polo, with flared jeans, converse, and my hair in a high pony tail (yup they were in back then and still are). My teacher looked at me, astonished. “That color looks so good on you!” Confidence overwhelmed me. I actually felt pretty. Comfortable.

Other people were starting to notice how much more confident I was through my clothing. My clothing started expressing myself and my personality. It was amazing. I remember thinking to myself one day, I will be a fashion designer. I WANT people to feel like I am feeling.

Moral of this story is. Well 1, I think people find out their passions really young. I think you have to chase whatever your smaller inner self once told you. I have tried so many different career paths. From nursing, to health administration, to marketing, etc. No matter how much I tried to make those options work, I couldn’t. I always thought about my 8 year old self that wanted to be into fashion so badly. I realized it was time to make her dream become a reality.

Fashion is what gave me purpose from a very young age. It taught me how to express myself when sometimes I felt that words just couldn’t. Confidence just stems from self expression. I was not cocky or arrogant. I just tried different looks from a very young age and found that they worked for me. Compliments helped me feel confident, sure. But, ultimately you need to feel confident in your own skin. You need to be comfortable with YOU. Really, no one can do that for you.