fashion advice for my 13 year old self

breaking the space-time continuum to empower my fashion evolution

Dear Baby Bri,

first of all, you’re perfect and i love you.

you’re currently learning about your personal style and that’s SO exciting! having to wear a school uniform for the past 9 years has not diluted your sense of style and now you’ll have the freedom to pick your own outfit for high school every single day!

daunting, i know.

which is why i’m sending this letter from the future to give you some hopefully helpful advice to navigate the next era of your evolution in fashion.

FASHION ADVICE FROM THE FUTURe #1

not everyone will appreciate your novel sense of style

and that’s okay!

some people just can’t see the vision, and that’s a bummer for them. some may even go so far as to criticize what they don’t understand and that’s okay too because the truth is: their critiques are not even about you, they’re about their own insecurities. so don’t let someone else’s insecurities make you feel insecure about what you wear (even when it’s coming from your mom).

FASHION ADVICE FROM THE FUTURE #2

you are not too [fat/skinny/short/femme/insert any other physical descriptor here] to wear that thing you want to wear. period.

if you feel comfortable and confident in it - WEAR IT! despite what you’ve been told by tias and television shows like “What Not To Wear” and “America’s Next Top Model”, there are actually no rules in fashion.eventhe concept of men’s clothing and women’s clothing is a construct made up by the patriarchy and capitalism (don’t get me started - that’s for a different letter)! don’t let THE MAN choose your outfit.

FASHION ADVICE FROM THE FUTURE #3

you have your entire adult life to struggle through thong wedgies, don’t believe the hype from the hot girls

they are as uncomfortable as you think they are and nobody cares what kind of underwear you’re wearing.

there’s not much else to add to that.

FASHION ADVICE FROM THE FUTURE #4

trust your instincts

you know yourself better than anyone else, so if you don’t feel good in an outfit, don’t wear it. feeling self-conscious in your outift or appearance is a guaranteed day-ruiner. listen to your gut and build yourself a look you love. you’re worth it!

-

these are things i’ve learned after spending my entire young adult life feeling insecure af (as fuck) trying to dress like all the white girls i saw getting attention around me, even though i have a different shape and different tastes.

this is data i’ve gathered through trial and error, by betraying myself in favor of the opinions of other people who never really wanted me to shine anyway.

these are realizations i’ve come to recognize and hold near and dear to my heart as i dress myself every single day. i hope they help you, 13 year old me, to embrace and develop your own weird personal style with a little more confidence.

you’ll be surprised (or maybe you won’t) how very little their opinion matters to your life as a whole, beautiful, complex experience.

stay strong and i’ll see you soon

<3

bri